The Shielded Savior
by RLTygurr
Summary: After a series of events nearly ends in Naofumi's death, he meets with the spirit of the shield. Taking pity on him, it allows him to break one of the Holy Weapon rules. AU where the spirits within the weapons have a physical form and can talk. *In the process of a rewrite*
1. Chapter 1 and 2 (rewritten)

**Hey everyone!**

**This story is currently in the process of having some chapters rewritten, so for a little bit it'll be on hiatus as they get updated. Either way, strap in for the ride and I hope you enjoy it.**

**Also, chapters 1 and 2 have been combined for better readability and for more consistent chapter length. Critical information that was incorrect the first time around has been fixed. **

**If you're a previous reader who's re-reading everything to see what's different, try to spot what I've changed.**

**Go on, I dare ya.**

Naofumi regained consciousness with a pounding headache. _'What just happened?'_, he wondered as he slowly opened his heavy eyelids. He was brought out of his thoughts by a robed man speaking unusually loudly.

"-we implore you O' Great Heroes! Please use the power within your legendary weapons to defend this world!" The robed man continued to plead, almost as if giving a sermon. The young college student finally sat up, realizing he was laying on the ground. He also found that he was not alone - three other young men were also sitting next to him, all holding their heads and looking about.

As the men stood on their shaky feet, one of the men near him spoke up. "You can't honestly expect us to just help you. You summoned us from our own world without any warning and you tell us to risk our lives? For all we know, you'll abandon us as soon as we save your world. I'm going to need some kind of insurance before I agree to anything."

He was a young man, maybe high-school aged, with dark hair, sharp eyes, and an athletic looking build. Naofumi figured he exercised regularly back in his own world, but his thoughts were put on hold as he noticed the blade in the man's hand.

Looking around, he noticed all of the men near him had some kind of weapon. The shortest of the group, a boy with medium-length blond hair and a strikingly feminine face, was gripping the grip of a bow. The last and most distinct of their little squad was a fairly tall man with long, blond hair in a ponytail and was holding a long spear.

Remembering the story he had been reading before he lost consciousness, Naofumi realized that it could only mean one thing.

'_He called us heroes, didn't he? What's going on?'_ He looked down to see a small gleaming shield affixed to his forearm. It almost seemed to be attached to his arm despite not having any straps or handles.

"Rest assured heroes! You will be properly compensated both during your time here and when you return to your worlds." The robed man couldn't quite hide the twitch of his eye as he spoke. It wasn't hard to tell that he wasn't expecting the _Great Heroes_ to be so defensive.

The blond boy finally spoke. "Very well then; I will hear you out at least. Saving the world can't possibly be that difficult for someone like me." Naofumi noticed the pride in his voice and scowled a bit, both at the boy and at himself for not feeling anywhere near as comfortable as the others seemed to be.

The four men were led through a magnificent castle. Along the way, they stopped at a window overlooking the city. The view was absolutely incredible, like something out of a fairy tale. However, they were rushed by the priests and didn't get much of a chance to admire the scenery.

They eventually arrived at some kind of throne room. On it, sat an old man in gaudy looking robes and a crown upon his head.

"Great Heroes! I welcome you to our great kingdom of Melromarc. I am the king of this country, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII. I wish to know the names of our saviors, so please, introduce yourselves!" He sat in his throne strongly, giving off an air of both superiority and authority.

The men began to introduce themselves.

The dark haired man is Amaki Ren, a 16 year old high school student.

The short boy is Kawasumi Itsuki, a 17 year old high school student.

The taller man is Motoyasu Kitamura, a 21 year old university student.

"My name -"

"Ren, Ituski, and Motoyasu right?" The king spoke over Naofumi, cutting him off. Irritated by being left out he continued. "King, you're forgetting about me."

"Oh, my apologies. Please introduce yourself, Shield Hero." The king said without a single shred of remorse. His tone made it obvious that he had no interest in the final hero's name. But why?

'_He didn't even ask for my name afterward? What an asshole!'_ thought Naofumi with a barely noticeable scowl. Clearing his throat, he took a step forward to introduce himself.

"I'm Iwatani Naofumi, 20 years old and a university student as well." He said. He took note that the King's eyes were closed and he almost seemed to be ignoring him completely.

'_Strange...What's with this guy?'_

"Anyway, let me explain our current situation to you." The king remarked, opening his eyes to look at the Heroes. He reiterated what the robed men had said, but with slightly more detail.

The world was under assault by a phenomenon known as 'the waves'. They're large rifts in the sky that appear and spawn increasingly difficult and destructive monsters. How they function or how to truly stop them was unknown, but surviving a wave involved defeating a 'boss monster'. These were typically much stronger than the average opponent, and required a coordinated effort to take down. If left unchecked this single monster alone could cause similar damage to the rest of the wave monsters.

The legends said that the waves could be stopped by the four holy heroes, and that the world would be at peace. There weren't very many details on _how_ they were supposed to stop the waves, however.

'_Do we just fight them until they stop? No, that would be far too simple.'_ Naofumi thought to himself with a hand on his chin in thought. _'There has to be more to it than that, otherwise the previous heroes would have done it already. That's assuming we aren't the first group of heroes to be summoned. They're really not giving us a lot of information to work with here.'_

He spared a glance at the other heroes who stood besides him. All of them held stoic faces that barely seemed surprised at the lack of real information about the situation. Feeling a little out of place, Naofumi fidgeted slightly.

"I understand, but don't think for a second that I'm doing this for free. I expect something in return after being brought here without any warning." Ren said confidently. It was as if this whole situation was completely normal for him.

A hunch-backed, grey-haired man with a sharp nose spoke up. "Of course, you will be compensated accordingly _after_ the waves are eradicated." He was obviously one of the King's aides, and the crooked smile he gave did nothing to ease Naofumi's initial impression of the royalty.

"Well as long as you promise, it's fine by me." Motoyasu said flippantly. He didn't seem to be taking this whole situation seriously. Either that, or he was just extremely easygoing. Naofumi wished he could borrow some of that personality so he wouldn't stick out so much.

"That's right. As long as you're being fair, I see no reason to object." Itsuki mentioned, stepping forward slightly.

The King continued. "Wonderful. Now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, I want you all to review your current status."

Naofumi looked back to the King, confused. _ 'Status? Does he mean like our equipment?'_ He thought, looking down at his shield in confusion. _'But this thing is pretty much all that I have...'_

"Uh, am I the only one who has no idea what that means?" Motoyasu spoke up, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I'm quite confused, myself." Itsuki said.

Ren groaned, as if this entire situation was cumbersome. "You mean you haven't seen it yet? Check the lower corner of your vision. Do you see the little icon there? Focus on it, and that'll bring up your status menu." He seemed very comfortable with this strange situation, even more so than the others. It was almost as if he'd done this before.

After a moment of searching, Naofumi noticed a small icon in the corner of his peripheral vision. He focused on it and immediately a screen popped up in his vision, startling him. It showed all kinds of information, from HP,MP and SP, to things like levels and stats. Curiously, everything was translated into Japanese for him.

It even showed the equipment he had currently in his possession, which was fairly limited.

**Otherworldly Clothes**

**Small Shield**

His clothing gave absolutely no bonuses whatsoever, and the **Small Shield** was pretty skewed in one direction. Although it gave a decent amount of defense, at least for someone at level 1, it gave absolutely no bonuses to his attack stat.

'_How am I supposed to do anything with such a pathetic attack stat!? I doubt I would do very much damage with it being in the single digits.'_ Naofumi thought with his brow furrowed in concern. Without an attack stat, he couldn't fight anything. If he couldn't fight anything, how would he gain experience and level up?

'_I need to find a sword or something to use with this shield.'_ he finally concluded. _'Not that I know how to use one, but you just swing it a certain way and it hurts things, right?'_

"You will all be forming separate parties to go on your adventures." Naofumi was shaken from his thoughts by the King's aide.

"Why do we have to be separate? Wouldn't it be smarter to stick together?" It was Itsuki that asked the question, and it was a valid one. 'Strength in numbers' wasn't a famous saying for nothing.

"The Four Cardinal Weapons are unusual in that they prevent the heroes from gaining experience points if they're too close together. Because of this restriction, it's important that you go to different areas to become stronger before the next wave strikes."

Naofumi narrowed his eyes. "That seems like a pretty odd restriction. Is there a reason for it?" he asked, but the aide ignored him.

"I dunno. That's a little weird to me, too." Motoyasu said, scratching his cheek before shrugging. "But if there's nothing we can do about it, we may as well get used to it."

Suddenly, a message popped up in Naofumi's vision.

**WARNING: The legendary weapons cannot function properly in close proximity to each other for long periods of time. It is strongly recommended to split up until absolutely necessary to avoid wasted potential.**

It was odd for a message like that to just appear out of nowhere, but it seemed to verify what the aide claimed. Deciding to think more on it later, Naofumi looked back at his status menu. Seeing a bunch of his stats, his eyes naturally roamed to the highest and lowest numbers to identify his overall strengths and weaknesses.

'_Hmm...My defense isn't bad, and my HP and MP aren't anything to scoff at either. However, that low attack stat is going to be a serious problem if I can't get my hands on something else. Even a pointy stick would do more damage than this, but it's probably because a shield isn't exactly built for offense.'_

His thoughts were once more interrupted by the aide. "Don't worry too much about that though, for we're preparing suitable companions for you as we speak. You should all rest and relax in one of the rooms. We will have you ready to go first thing tomorrow morning." The older man finished speaking and immediately a beautiful brunette woman in a flowing dress approached.

"I will take you all to your room. Please follow me." She spoke politely, bowing politely before turning and walking into a hallway.

After a few minutes of navigating the halls of the castle, we were led to a room with four beds where we would be staying the night together. It was fairly large, with a table and chairs for us to sit and chat amongst ourselves. The furnishings were beyond extravagant, obviously made for esteemed guests of the nobility.

"They treat us pretty well for being heroes. That girl that escorted us was pretty cute! And did you see her _rack!?_" Motoyasu's carefree voice resounded through the room as he plopped down in a chair, spinning it backwards and resting his arms on the back rest.

Naofumi sweatdropped. _'His priorities are obviously more focused on saving girls from their virginities than saving the world from destruction.'_ he thought, sitting down on another chair

"This world is a lot like Emerald Online. It's like a game and has similar systems, don't you think?" Motoyasu said, looking at the rest of us for confirmation. However, he only received confused looks.

"What are you talking about? It's like Dimension Wave, which is a console game." Itsuki interjected, joining us at the table.

"A console? How outdated is your hardware?" Ren said, crossing his arms as he sat down as well. "Everybody plays VRMMO's these days, and this world is identical to Brave Star Online."

"What the heck is a VRMMO?" Motoyasu said with widened eyes. "You mean like those things in sci-fi movies where you literally become your character and all that? Does it have a helmet and everything?"

The black haired boy nodded. "Basically, yes. Have none of you ever seen one? It's pretty standard these days."

"Are you sure about that?" Naofumi asked. "I thought VRMMO's were like, the type of thing you would read in a manga or something. That sounds super high-tech."

"I've never heard of it either, to be honest." Itsuki admitted.

Motoyasu stood from his place on the bed. "Wells let's agree on something. Everyone knows what an RPG is right?" Everyone agreed, with slight variations on the details.

"Just to be sure, we're all from Japan right?" the blond man asked, and we all nodded. "Who's the current prime minister?" He questioned. Immediately, all four men gave a response that was different than the others.

"Okay...what's the name of a popular j-pop band?"

Again, their answers were completely different. More questions about Japan's history or pop culture were asked, but each one ended with each man giving an answer that contradicted the others. In fact, none of them recognized _any_ of the answers at all.

"I can't believe it. I would have thought we were just from different regions, but it turns out we're from completely different worlds." Naofumi sighed as he slumped into the couch. "Why does it feel like you guys know all about how this works?"

The three gave Naofumi looks of pity. "I don't know how to tell you this, but maybe it has something to do with you being chosen as the shield hero." Motoyasu said. "Everyone knows that shielders are the least experienced player in the game."

"Why do you say that?" the dark haired man asked. "I've played online RPGs before, and defenders are just as important as anyone else."

"I disagree. This world is identical to a game I've played before. Even the setting is the same." Ren said with a shake of his head. "Other classes get such a high attack stat in the late game that shielders can't keep up. Your class is defensive, but other classes can do the same thing even better if someone is skilled."

Itsuki nodded. "He's right. I don't know how to tell you this, but the shielder is a complete noob class. It's only used by people who aren't skilled at the game. Most of the time, other classes can defend just as well if not better than shielders can as long as you know what you're doing."

Naofumi groaned. _'Are they serious!? It's just my luck to get stuck in the crappy class!'_

He had always played as either a shielder or a support class in his games. He wasn't much of a glory seeker who wanted to deal as much damage as possible, instead opting for supporting his guildmates and helping them accomplish great deeds. There were times when he dabbled into damage-dealing classes, but his experience in that was severely limited.

Whenever he wasn't assisting his online friends, he was focusing on making money. It was always his goal to make as much capital as possible in the game, so that he could afford the top-tier equipment or materials for him and his guild members. Because of this, most of his experience was actually in dealing with other people rather than the mechanics of the game.

"Whatever. Even if I'm mainly a support-type, I'll figure something out. If I'm lucky, I can find a really fancy weapon that'll make up for my low attack stat." Naofumi said.

"Speaking of which, what is your attack stat Naofumi? We're all level 1, so ours aren't extremely high either." Itsuki questioned, tilting his head slightly, almost like a dog.

Naofumi hummed in thought before responding. "My defense is pretty high, nearly in the triple digits, but my attack is in the single digits..." he trailed off with a frown.

They all nodded in acceptance. "That's to be expected, since you technically don't have a real weapon at all right now." Itsuki replied. "Once you get a sword or something to go with it, it should go up to a reasonable level."

"Agreed. That should be your first priority. Even if it isn't a legendary weapon like ours, it's better than nothing. Your shield should keep you pretty safe, especially early on." Ren said.

Motoyasu stretched his arms above his head. "Luckily, we're all getting companions in the morning to work with us. That takes a bit of the stress off our backs."

Naofumi looked at his right arm, where the Shield rested. The gem inside was a deep green color, but momentarily flashed a deep blue and reverted back. _ 'Are my eyes playing tricks on me?'_ he thought, trying to convince himself that he wasn't losing his mind.

"Hey, what colors are the gems in your weapons?" he asked, turning to them. They all raised their eyebrows, but Motoyasu especially looked appalled.

"Are you colorblind? The gems are obviously different based on which weapon it is. That's how they're supposed to be." the blond said, tapping the crimson gem in his spear with his finger.

"But I swear mine just changed from green to blue for a moment."

"Don't be ridiculous." Itsuki said. "The light probably just hit it the wrong way and you thought it was blue."

Naofumi sighed and shrugged. "Alright...whatever, I guess."

"Anyway, let's all head to bed. They didn't say when we would be up tomorrow, and who knows if time is kept the same way here as it does back home." Itsuki said, standing from his seat and stretching. He walked to one of the four beds before laying down on top. "I suppose I'll see you all in the morning. Try to keep it down if you're staying up late."

Ren and Motoyasu soon did the same, leaving Naofumi to lay on his own bed.

'_Let's take a look at the help menu. Maybe that'll give me a few pointers on what to do from here.'_ he thought to himself, opening up the menu and perusing its contents.

After a few minutes, he sighed. _'What the hell? There's barely anything here. Just the basics on how to unlock new shields and some general info that explains what's already in my menu.'_ Any information about the environment, their mission to stop the waves, or pretty much anything else was missing.

He sighed. _'I guess I'll have to ask plenty of questions tomorrow when I get my party members. Hopefully they'll be able to explain a lot of the stuff that I need to know. If not, I could be in trouble.'_

Naofumi looked back at the shield attached to his right arm, examining the weapon with curious eyes. _'What's your story, anyway? All the king said was 'legends say this' and 'legends say that', but that doesn't tell me anything about you or why I was the one chosen to do this stuff. If I'm being honest, you probably picked the wrong guy.'_ The shield flashed red, as if expressing its displeasure at him.

Shocked, he wondered to himself if the shield itself was alive and sentient, and very shortly after, the gem in the center of Shield switched to a gleaming blue color.

'_So you really are alive. Are the other weapons alive too?'_ he asked, curious. The shield turned blue once more, answering his question. _'But why choose me? Compared to the others, I have absolutely no idea what this place is.'_ The shield flashed a blazing crimson color for just a moment, then settled into a dark shade of blue.

'_Can you teach me how to fight? I'll probably need a lot of help at the beginning.'_ The Shield slowly turned a dark shade of red. _'Why not?'_ It turned an even darker shade of red, nearly black now. _'Seriously!? You're kidding me! You're just going to throw me into an unfamiliar place with no help and expect me to survive!?'_ he thought angrily.

After asking several more questions and receiving no response, Naofumi assumed the Shield was ignoring him now. _'Fine, be that way. Stupid Shield.'_

He flinched as a jolt of electricity ran up his right arm. _'Jeez, you don't have to zap me.'_

Assuming that he wouldn't receive any more answers tonight, he decided to lean back and close his eyes. Laying down in bed, the events of the day finally caught up to him and he dozed off until the next morning.

King Melromarc sat upon his throne once more, dressed in royal robes similar to the ones he wore the day before.

He looked down upon the four Heroes that stood before him. Each and every one of them looked more comfortable than they had the day before. This included the shield hero, much to his surprise. According to his maids, Naofumi was the least knowledgeable about the world.

That worked fine for him. This country didn't even need the shield hero in the first place.

"Good morning heroes! As promised, I have taken the liberty of assembling the greatest adventurers in our country." He waved his hand in a wide arc, as if showcasing merchandise at a store. "Swordsmen, archers, mages, healers, and many more are available to you."

Naofumi scanned the large group of about fifteen adventurers standing in front of them. All of them appeared to be seasoned fighters and stood with confidence. Their equipment appeared to be decent, but without any other examples for comparison, he could only assume whether they were exceptional or not.

The swordsmen and swordswomen stood straight up. Some had their arms crossed and others had a hand on their hip. No matter how you looked at it, they all seemed to be ready to draw their swords at a moment's notice.

The archers and stealthy types stood lazily about, almost not paying attention to anything going on. But if you looked closely, all of them were searching the room for anything amiss.

The mages actions were varied, with some mouthing chants to themselves silently and others simply standing there.

One woman in particular stood out to him due to her deep red hair color. His eyes were drawn to her because she was beyond beautiful. She and Naofumi locked eyes and she winked at him, causing him to blush.

'_Maybe this is my chance! I may not have had much luck with women, but maybe I'll have a better shot since I'm a hero!'_ he quickly thought, forcing himself to look away. _'I mean...nobody said I couldn't get a girlfriend while I'm here, right?'_

As he refocused his attention on the remainder of his possible companions, the King continued his speech.

"However, this may work a bit differently than you're expecting. You don't get to choose your own companions. They get to choose who they are willing to follow." The king waved his hand again, and the adventurers began to walk toward the heroes.

After a moment, all of them had taken a place in a line behind their hero of choice. Motoyasu's group consisted entirely of pretty women, Ren had a good variety of followers, and Itsuki had a small group for himself who looked capable.

Naofumi whipped around and noticed that nobody was standing behind him. "Huh!?" he exclaimed in shock. Nobody wanted to help him!? Not a single person!?

'_Wait, this is totally unfair!'_

"Hey wait a second! Nobody is willing to be in my group!?" he asked. However, all of the adventurers averted their eyes. "Seriously? I've just got a shield! How am I supposed to handle everything on my own!?"

"Since it appears nobody wishes to follow the shield hero, he will be provided additional funding to procure his party members on his own. As for the rest of you Heroes, are you satisfied with this arrangement?" They nodded, but Itsuki decided to interject.

"Yes, that seems fair."

"I don't see a problem with it." Ren said.

"I'm sure you'll find companions out there, Naofumi! Don't worry too much!" Motoyasu said with an easygoing smile.

"Shield hero, you will be provided a total of 800 silvers as compensation from the kingdom. Since you will need to find suitable companions to aid you on your journey as well as outfit them with appropriate equipment, you should find this amount more than satisfactory. The other three heroes shall receive 500 silvers instead."

Naofumi was stunned. Based on his first impressions, he didn't expect the King to give him any sort of compensation whatsoever, let alone nearly doubling the money he was to receive.

"Actually, your Majesty, I would like to aid the Shield Hero!" A cheery voice rang throughout the throne room. Naofumi turned to his side to see the red haired woman smiling at him. He fought back the blush that tried to resurface. _'Too close! She's even hotter up close!'_

"Wait, are you sure?" Motoyasu asked.

"Yes! I couldn't possibly leave him all by himself, so I've changed my mind."

"Is that so?" The King looked at the woman with intrigue. "If that is what you wish. Shield hero, do you accept her as your companion?"

"Sure. I'm sure you already know, but I'm Naofumi Iwatani. It's great to be working with you." He reached out his hand for a handshake. He was unsure if that was a custom in this world as well, but he decided to go for it.

She quickly grasped his hand with her own and shook it rather gently. _'She has soft hands for an adventurer.'_ Naofumi thought idly. He would have thought it strange that a swordswoman like her would have such soft hands rather than calloused, rough ones, but his mind and heart were both racing from her proximity.

"My name is Myne Sophia. I hope we get along!" she said cheerfully, releasing his hand and standing behind him.

The King stood. "Now that everything is out of the way, you can begin your adventures! Best of luck to you, heroes!"

The heroes quickly got acquainted with their companions before departing the castle.

"Shield hero, we should go straight to the fields to start training so we can level up! There are lots of low level monsters there that should be easy for someone like me to take care of." Myne said excitedly. Naofumi nodded with a smile, assuming that he needed to fight weak monsters to both level up and learn how to actually defend himself in combat.

"Dammit, this is hard! These things don't hurt at all but they're too fast for me to punch them!" Naofumi grunted with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

He and Myne were standing in an open field near the capital. It was home to balloons: small spherical monsters with sharp teeth and a nasty habit of latching on to people and refusing to let go.

Naofumi tried to catch his breath while several balloons decided to gnaw on his limbs. He didn't feel anything besides a small pressure on his body, so he completely ignored them. His HP wasn't decreasing either, so they were effectively harmless to him.

"Your defense stat is high enough to not take damage from their attacks, so they're perfect practice! You need to learn to anticipate their attacks and defend yourself from them. Focus less on killing them and more on not getting hit." Myne instructed. She stood under the shade of a large tree, mindlessly eating a fruit from its branches.

Nodding his head, Naofumi got back to work first by throwing the attached balloons off of himself and swinging his fist at them. Though he managed to hit them, they would often bounce off his fist like a rubber ball before flying around a bit and charging him once more.

After multiple hours of training and only two balloons killed, the pair withdrew to the city to rest. Myne insisted they stop by a blacksmith to purchase themselves better gear, and Naofumi found himself unable to deny her since she looked so pretty when she smiled.

A bell on the door rang as it was opened.

"Welcome to my shop! The name's Elhart, and I'm the blacksmith here. What can I do for ya?" A large, burly man stood behind the counter. He was bearded and bald, with a vertical scar down his left temple. All around the shop were weapons of different shapes and sizes. Off to the side, Naofumi spotted a variety of clothing and armors.

Not responding immediately, a soft hand landed on Naofumi's shoulder. "We should get you some armor to increase your defense even higher! Since I'll be doing most of the damage, I'll also need a better weapon to make up for the fact that you can't do much right now. You can get a basic weapon to start with, but you should make sure you're able to protect the two of us without getting hurt. There's no reason to buy an expensive weapon right off the bat if you'll outgrow it within days."

Naofumi nodded dumbly, suddenly uncomfortable with her hand on his shoulder and her face so close to his own. Her logic was sound, but he wasn't entirely sure how much he should spend on his one and only companion. With 800 silvers to work with, he needed to make it last. Spending too much at once would stunt his growth later on if he couldn't afford an upgrade to his equipment.

That didn't even factor in the cost of food or lodging. His experience as a guildmaster didn't have to factor those things into the budget because it wasn't this realistic!

"Mr. Elhart, we're going to need some armor for both of us and some weapons. He needs something that he can get used to, and I need an improvement on my current blade. It's not bad, but I'm sure someone with your expertise could do much better." Myne leaned slightly on the counter, pressing her assets together in an attempt to make herself seem even more attractive.

The man just blinked. If he was even slightly affected by her attempts at persuasion, he didn't show it. "Alright, let me take a look at your sword first. In the meantime, take a look around at the armor I have on display. You might find something that fits both your size and your budget." Disappointed that he didn't react the way she intended, Myne handed her blade to the blacksmith and proceeded to drag the hero towards the armor section of the shop.

Minutes later, the two of them had chosen their armor. Myne had opted for a battle chestplate and Naofumi had gone with a simple leather jerkin. Naofumi was still unsure of what weapon to choose. _'There are so many options...But if I'm going to have a shield, I may as well use something that I can hold in one hand.'_ he thought sagely.

Spotting a table with some basic looking swords on it, Naofumi reached down to grasp the hilt of one. As his hand wrapped around the handle, a large jolt of electricity ran through his right arm. He recoiled in shock as the weapon fell from his hand.

"What was that!? Are you trying to rob my store, kid!?" Elhart had come returned from the back of the shop with hands on his hips. Naofumi raised his hands in a placating manner.

"N-no not at all! I tried to pick up one of your swords to see what it felt like, but it flew right out of my hand!"

Not buying the excuse, Elhart scoffed. "Well let's see you do it again. Then I'll know if you're lying to me, boy." Not wanting to aggravate the large, scarred man any further, Naofumi reached for the blade again.

Only to have an even bigger shock run through his arm.

"Agh!" he cried out, grabbing his right arm with his left in an attempt to dull the pain. "Dammit! What's happening?" A message appeared in Naofumi's vision.

**WARNING: Heroes cannot wield any weapons other than their legendary weapon.**

'_So that means I can't use any weapon besides my shield? A shield hardly does much for offense!'_ he thought to himself before noticing that the gem in the middle of his shield was deep red. _'But why would you keep me from using a weapon? I get that a shield is supposed to defend, but that's awfully one-dimensional don't you think?'_

It didn't respond, and he rolled his eyes at it.

"So I guess you weren't lying after all. That's a unique looking shield you got there, so I kinda assumed you were the shield hero. Mind if I take a look at it for a moment?" Elhart asked.

After getting confirmation, he proceeded to take a very close look at the Holy Shield with a magnifying glass. His eyes glowed a bright yellow for a few moments before receding back to their usual brown.

Finally, he sighed and shrugged. "I can't get anything out of it. Even with my appraisal skill being as high as it is, all I can tell is that it's one hell of a shield." Elhart laughed.

Myne looked on with interest, but was more focused on the weapon that the blacksmith had laid on the counter before walking over. "Mr. Elhart, this weapon looks fantastic! How much will it cost?" She said, practically bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Hmm, for you guys I'll give you a package deal. Since you're buying that weapon along with some armor, I'll give it all to you for 400 silvers." He said with his hand against his chin, thinking.

Myne appeared disappointed and sighed. "Our budget was around 300 silvers. Could you go any lower?" She pleaded with the older man, but he stood firm.

"I'm afraid 400 silvers is already pushing it. That sword alone is probably worth somewhere around 250 silvers by itself, and that breastplate is about 150 silvers as well. I'm practically handing the jerkin over for free at this point. Take it or leave it." He stood his ground against the young woman, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Myne barely looked at Naofumi before responding. "Fine, I guess we'll have to adjust our budget elsewhere. Come on, shield hero! Let's get some dinner at the tavern!" She practically dragged him out of the store with their new equipment.

Noticing that she barely paid attention to his lack of a weapon, Naofumi was growing suspicious. She didn't choose him immediately, yet was willing to help him. She taught him the basics on defending himself, but was more interested in using his allotted funds to shop for herself rather than the good of the party.

'_Something about this doesn't seem right. I get that she's more used to this world than I am, but it feels like I'm just being told what to do.'_ Naofumi thought warily. He kept his eyes on the red haired woman but found it difficult to stay mad at her for any period of time. Even if her mannerisms kept him on edge, she was the closest thing he had to a guide in this unfamiliar world.

Arriving at the inn, the pair sat down at an unoccupied table to grab a meal and relax.

"This was a great first day, shield hero! We got some new equipment, defeated some monsters and learned some basics on fighting. Now we get to celebrate with a nice drink and some good food." Myne waved down a server.

Naofumi had no idea how to read this world's language, so he had to defer to Myne's recommendation on what to eat. After they ordered, the redhead requested a bottle of fine wine. Within minutes, the server returned with a bottle of dark wine and two glasses.

Not even thanking the waitress, Myne poured a glass of wine for herself and one for Naofumi. He looked around, still amazed at the activity within the tavern. Servers bustled back and forth, bringing food and drinks to customers. Rowdy drunks stood in the corners and near the doorway, heckling passersby and especially the pretty women. Some shady individuals stood in the dark corners of the room, shrouded by dark clothing and hoods to conceal their identities.

He was brought out of his sightseeing when the glass of wine was pushed closer to his end of the table by Myne. He looked at the glass and back to the beautiful red haired woman. "Oh sorry, I'm a bit distracted. There's a lot going on here. But yeah, today wasn't too bad for the first day. I can see why it should be defended from the waves. It's a beautiful town, and I can only imagine what the rest of the world looks like."

Myne giggled at his child-like innocence. "The country of Melromarc is quite beautiful. What say you and I have a toast to a long lasting partnership?" She raised her glass, intending for him to clink it with his own.

"Sorry but...I don't drink." Naofumi slid the glass back toward the center of the table. Myne's face fell immediately and he regretted putting it so bluntly, but he had his reasons.

"You know, most men would never in their lifetime refuse a drink from a woman. Come on, it's just one bottle. It's not going to hurt you." However, the hero shook his head.

"I understand, but I have personal reasons why I don't drink anymore. It's just not my thing." In reality, it was impossible for him to get drunk. He wasn't sure if he was born with some immunity to alcohol or if his tolerance was just absurdly high, but no matter how much he drank he never felt a thing.

After a while, he swore off drinking entirely. It was a huge waste of money and time, and half of the time the liquor didn't even taste good.

The two settled into a companionable silence, exchanging a few words about the world and people nearby. Soon enough, their food arrived and Naofumi placed his hands together with his silverware while saying "Thank you for the food".

Myne looked at him with curiosity. He dove into his meal with gusto, and his eyes lit up as he chewed. Swallowing his first bite, he exclaimed "This is incredible! Is all the food in this world this delicious!?" She laughed at his excitement. If nothing else, it was contagious.

"Not everything tastes this good, but this is pretty standard here. The taverns in the capital keep the quality of their food fairly high." she answered, slowly eating her own meal.

After several minutes, both of them had finished their meals and it was beginning to get dark.

"I just, um, wanted to say thanks for joining me. I don't know what I would have done all by myself. I probably would have gotten lost getting out of the castle." Naofumi laughed while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Myne giggled and placed her hand on his arm affectionately.

"It's no problem! I'll always be here for you, shield sero." Her eyes were practically closed from how much she was smiling, and Naofumi got that itch the back of his head again. _'For some reason, that just sounds...odd. Maybe I'm just crazy, but I wouldn't expect someone I just met to pledge their loyalty for any long period of time.'_

Deciding it was time to think alone for a bit, Naofumi retired to his room for the night a bit early. He told Myne that he wanted to be up fairly early to start his next day. He also said he would make it up to her for not having a drink with her on their first day.

As he walked away, he didn't notice her smile shift into a dark smirk.

Naofumi shut the door to his room quietly. Despite the amount of noise coming from the tavern downstairs, he still didn't want to disturb any of the other guests.

He began to mutter to himself. "Alright, I understand a little about fighting but not much. I didn't even gain a level today because I was too busy trying to block balloons. Unless I kill one, I don't get any experience points." He mumbled dejectedly. "Am I really expected to just defend? I get that I have Myne to fight for me, but it just feels...wrong. I'd feel much more comfortable having a weapon at least."

A small jolt from his right arm was the only response.

'_You really don't like me talking about that, do you?'_ The gem glowed blue in affirmation. _'Why can we not use any weapons other than the holy weapons? There's got to be a reason why, otherwise it just sounds like an excuse to screw me over.'_ The gem faded from blue to a dull grey. Uncertain of what to make of that response, Naofumi mentally asked another question.

'_Are all the other weapons this restrictive, or just you?'_

He immediately received a massive shock that made him cry out in pain. The gemstone burned a bright red that outshined the evening sun coming through the window. After a few moments, the electricity faded and he shook off the feeling of needles in his hand.

'_Okay...That doesn't really answer my question, but I'm going to assume the answer is yes.'_ The gem faded back to its usual green. _'Note to self, don't piss off legendary weapons.'_

Deciding it was time to sleep, Naofumi removed his leather jerkin and placed it on the chair beside his bed. He stripped down to his outerwear to sleep in, but not before folding his other clothes neatly into his pack, which he had purchased at a nearby general store.

Finally, he took the pouch which contained his coins and split the amount into many small groups. After totalling them up, he counted 380 silvers remaining. _'That's less than half of my money gone in a single day. I better be a lot more stingy with my money from now on. I can't afford to go bankrupt in a few weeks of being in this world.'_

He took the stacks of coins and hid them underneath his pillow. Call it paranoia, but if someone came in to rob him while he was asleep, he wanted to make sure he wasn't doomed. He was a heavy sleeper, after all. His brother, Jun, was able to sneak into his room and play an otome game without him noticing on more than one occasion.

Deciding to test his shield's ability to absorb things, he dropped a silver coin into it. It vanished in an instant, and he saw that a currency counter appeared in his inventory menu. Wanting to make sure he could retrieve it when necessary, he mentally asked for the money to be withdrawn. In an instant, the silver coin reappeared in his hand as if it had never left.

'_Huh...may as well put it all in there just to be safe. I doubt anyone can steal it from me like this. I wonder how it works, though. Is it like...a special dimension in my pocket? Is there a limit to how much I can hold in there?'_ he thought to himself before shrugging. _'Oh well. I doubt I have enough stuff on me to fill it up anyway.'_

**Peddler's Shield: conditions met**

A message appeared in his vision, telling him he'd unlocked a new shield somehow. Looking in his menu, a new tab appeared labeled **Shields**. When he pulled it up, a massive web of interconnected circles showed up. They all connected in some way to the **Small Shield**, which was the default shield in the very center.

Each circle had an empty nameplate for the shield and nearly all of them were colored grey with a lock on them, indicating that he had not unlocked them yet. Only two were a different color. **Small Shield**, the one he currently had equipped, and **Peddler's Shield**, the new one he must have picked up by absorbing the silver coins.

Focusing on the **Peddler's Shield** circle, nothing happened at first. However, he tried simply thinking the name of the shield. Suddenly, the shield on his arm glowed before being replaced with a metal vambrace. It looked less like a shield and more like a metal covering for one's forearm. It was much more subtle than his **Small Shield**, which could come in handy if he ever needed to go undercover.

Going back to his menu and taking another look at the **Peddler's Shield**, he saw something written below the shield's name.

**Peddler's Shield: ability locked**

**Equip Bonus: defense 2**

It appeared to just be a passive increase to his defense stat, which would be helpful if he unlocked a ton of shields early on. Later, though, it would probably stop being quite as effective compared to upgrading existing shields.

Assuming he even could. There was nothing in his help menu related to upgrading what he already had, so he wasn't even sure if that was possible. He made a mental note to ask the other heroes the next time he saw them.

Exhausted from a full day of adventuring and overthinking his situation over and over, Naofumi drifted off to sleep.

Who knew being a hero felt like such a job?


	2. Chapter 3 (rewritten)

**This is how we do it.**

**This chapter is done with its rewrite, and things actually changed in a BIG way compared to the original writing. Because of this, expect some semi-major things to change as I finish my rewriting.**

**Enjoy!**

Naofumi shot awake to the sound of his door being kicked off its hinges. "Shield hero, you've been summoned to the royal courtroom! Resist and you will be shown no mercy!"

"Wh-what!? Did something happen?" he asked as his arm was roughly grabbed by a soldier.

"Don't play dumb, criminal! We know what you did to Princess Malty!"

"Who!? I don't even know who that is!"

Barely getting an opportunity to look around, he was dragged out of the room and into the streets. It was still early in the morning and Naofumi still felt the dizziness of awakening. One thing he did get the chance to notice however, was that both his pack and jerkin had been missing.

After being unceremoniously dragged through the capital streets for several minutes, he was soon thrown into the same throne room from yesterday. The king sat on his throne with the other three heroes beside him. A large crowd of nobles and soldiers stood in the rafters overlooking the area.

"Shield Hero, you have been charged with sexual assault against a party member. What say you in your defense?" The King bellowed, his anger easily noticeable in his tone.

Naofumi was stupefied. _'Sexual assault? What the hell!? When would I even have time for that?'_ He tried to move slightly closer to the King in an attempt to placate, but spears were shoved in his path while more were held at his back.

"I would never do such a thing! Where's your proof?" He yelled in confusion. One of the guards who held him at spear point reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple nightgown. It was already lacy and practically see-through, but it looked like the center had been torn.

"This was found on the edge of the shield hero's bed. We have received testimony that it belongs to his only companion, the first princess Malty." The guard said. Only now did Naofumi take a closer look at the audience and notice Myne cowering behind Motoyasu. The blond man's face was a mixture of righteous anger and concern for the woman behind him.

'_Wait what!? Myne is a princess!? And her real name isn't even Myne!? What's going on here!?'_ Speechless, he tried his best to find an explanation that would free him of guilt. As it was, the odds were stacked against him and he didn't even know why.

"I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I didn't do it! Tell them, Myne! Or Malty, or whatever your name really is!"

The King spoke in a more calm voice this time. "Malty dear, I know this is hard but would you mind explaining to us what happened once more?"

Malty responded in a terrified, quivering voice. "The s-shield hero c-came into my room last night and pinned me to the bed. He was so drunk, a-and he said 'the night is still young', tearing at my clothes." She stopped a moment to wipe a tear from her eye and control her emotions.

"I-If it weren't for Lord Motoyasu coming to my rescue, I would have been raped! He was walking outside of my room and must have heard the commotion. I managed to break free after a moment and escape, and he got me to safety."

Naofumi was confused. "None of that happened! I went to bed right after eating! I even refused to drink with you!" He yelled in frustration. "She's lying!"

"Enough!" The King yelled, silencing him. "Spear hero, is this true? Did the shield hero assault this woman?" His response was a nod from the tall, blond man.

"Yeah, he did. Myne was half-naked running down the halls of the inn, and she looked so frightened. There's no other explanation for what happened!"

"What!? You know she's lying to you right Motoy-"

"Shut up! I can't believe you would do something like this to her!" Naofumi was stunned as he was interrupted by the man in question. "I thought you were a decent guy, Naofumi, but you've proven me wrong!"

The spear hero continued. "I knew you were a brute but I never thought you would stoop to such a low level! Do you honestly believe they would forgive you for this just because you're one of the heroes?"

"You're wrong! I don't think I'm anything special just for being a Hero! I didn't even ask for this!" the dark haired man yelled back indignantly. What nobody realized was that the Shield's gem was turning a dark red color.

"And that's my armor you're wearing! Where did you steal that from!?" He yelled.

Motoyasu raised an eyebrow and replied, "What are you talking about? This was a gift from Myne after I saved her from you!"

"That's a load of bullshit!"

"Shield hero, you have broken the most sacred rule in our kingdom. Normally, violence against a woman of any kind is punishable by death. However, because you are one of the heroes, I am forced to allow you to live." The King spoke. "That doesn't mean you are welcome here any longer. Word travels fast in this country, and surely everyone will know what you have done!"

'_They all want me to die for something I didn't even do? What kind of twisted system is this!?' _Naofumi thought to himself. _'It isn't fair! Why is this happening to me?'_

His gaze lingered on the King before coming to rest once more on the red haired woman.

Suddenly, she stuck her tongue out at him and pulled her lower eyelid down in a mocking fashion.

As realization dawned on him, he clenched his fists in anger. _ 'She set me up! That bitch!'_ He knew he couldn't say anything out loud about it or it would make the situation worse for him. Plus, nobody would believe him.

The gem on the Shield glowed brighter, enough for multiple people to notice the sudden change. Naofumi's hair began to sway as a hot breeze flowed through the throne room. How it entered, nobody knew.

The King pointed his finger at the man and gave his verdict. "Word has already spread of your crimes, so don't expect anyone to be willing to assist you! However, you are still required to assist us with fighting the waves! It is your duty!"

The shield hero grit his teeth, eyes obscured by his hair. "Fine! I don't need your stupid kingdom or your help! I'll find a way to become stronger than any of you, and when I do, you'll be the ones with your heads on a chopping block!" The audience was appalled. This criminal dared to threaten not only royalty, but the _king_ no less?

"Leave immediately, and never return! You filthy shield demon!" At the King's outcry, the gem in the shield was now a brilliant crimson. Naofumi shoved the spears aside and walked out of the throne room himself without saying a single word.

Ren and Itsuki stood watching the spectacle with judgmental eyes. The blond boy decided to speak up. "I can't believe he would do something so despicable."

Ren replied with a furrowed brow. "Indeed. To think he would become a criminal is unfortunate, but we can handle the waves without him if we have to. After all, he's just a shielder."

The two young men stayed silent in their thoughts for a moment before Itsuki spoke up once more. "Well, I guess we had better get back to business. No reason to sit around here playing politics when we should be out there getting stronger."

Ren merely nodded, returning to his companions and leaving the throne room.

Myne still clung to the spear hero, now completely calm and no longer the terrified mess of a woman she was moments earlier. She blushed as she looked at her 'savior'.

"Lord Motoyasu? We should get going as well. I have another _gift_ for you." She said provocatively, rubbing her hand down the man's arm. He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, beginning to walk away.

'_I don't know why you turned out like this Naofumi, but if it's the last thing I do I will see you punished. I'm the protagonist here, and it looks like I've found my final boss.'_ The blond man thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Naofumi was quickly walking aimlessly throughout the capital. He knew of nowhere else to go, and he was so filled with rage that he could barely think.

'_How dare she! How dare they! I can't believe they'd accuse me of something I didn't do, then refuse to listen to my own story at all! And Myne - Malty, whatever that bitch's name is - she screwed me over! Was this her plan from the start!?'_ he thought, glaring at the ground in front of him as he walked.

People whispered behind their hands and others pointed and stared. Some of the more outspoken villagers yelled derogatory names at him and some children even threw rocks, trying to fit in and impress their friends or family members. They didn't hurt him because of his defense being high enough, but the pain was more than skin-deep.

It just drove home the fact that he was an awful person for something he didn't even do.

'_They're all idiots who just want to feel special by hating me.'_ It's easy to find camaraderie when there's something to fight against. In this case, the entire town was connected in their hatred for the young man.

Walking to a slightly less populated area to find a reprieve from the unwanted attention, the hero was suddenly grabbed by the collar and shoved against the wall. He locked eyes with Elhart, the blacksmith from the other day. The man's eyes were cold, and he waved a fist in the Naofumi's face threateningly.

"You've got some nerve, showing your face around here after what you did! I oughtta give you a good punch in the face for that!" He roared in his face. Naofumi merely glared back at the larger man with contempt.

"You too huh?"

The calm, condescending voice of the Hero diffused most of the rage within the old blacksmith. It wasn't the voice of a criminal who did something wrong. Criminals don't just accept their fate and move on. Something didn't make sense.

"All these people think I did something so terrible, but they're just going to hate me no matter what I do now. There's no reason for me to say I'm innocent if they're going to blame me anyway." His voice was even colder than before, and the hero didn't even resist.

The look in his eyes made the blacksmith lower his raised fist. "So what's your plan now?" he asked the hero. Naofumi scoffed.

"Anything I can, I guess. First off, I'll need a weapon." He ignored the jolt in his arm as he said that. The gem in the center of the shield flashed a dark red once again

Elhart looked at him strangely. "You couldn't even pick one up yesterday, and you want me to sell you a weapon you can't use?" He saw the determination in the younger man's eyes and relented. "Fine. It's against my personal morals to sell a weapon to someone who will probably hurt themselves with it, but you wouldn't listen to me if I tried to convince you otherwise."

Naofumi nodded, and followed the bigger man into the back of his shop. It was an organized mess of metal, ashes, burnt floor spots, and a couple unfinished weapons scattered around the room. Nearby, he could see the forge which was used to create the weapons that were sold.

"Are you sure about this kid?" Elhart turned to him after leading him to a table with a single, plain blade on it. "You know what happened last time. That shield of yours doesn't seem to like it when you hold a sword."

Naofumi ignored the older man and reached out to grab the sword's handle. Immediately, a jolt ran up his arm and he did his best to ignore it. He still gripped the hilt, but the nerves in his arm continued to send pain to his brain.

Raising the blade off the table only intensified the pain, causing him to give in and release the weapon. It clattered to the ground with a loud clang.

"Damn thing still won't let me do it." Naofumi said, breathing heavily and holding his right arm in pain. _'There's got to be some kind of way around the restriction. Think Naofumi, think! You're a college student aren't you!?'_ he thought frantically.

Suddenly an idea presented itself to him in the form of a scarred blacksmith named Elhart.

"Let me see if I can attach the sword to you without you touching it yourself. Maybe then you could at least take it with you. After that, you can figure it out on your own somehow." Elhart offered, burying the weapon into its sheath and handing a belt to the younger man.

Seeing the hero's confused look, he continued. "Put this on. I'll strap the sword to the belt and see if something happens." Nodding, Naofumi attached the belt over his current clothing.

'_I'll want to buy something a bit less conspicuous for clothes. That bitch and Motoyasu stole my only piece of armor, so I'll need to look for more eventually. I also don't want to stick out too much if possible.'_ Naofumi thought to himself, making a mental checklist of things he needed to get done.

Elhart took the strap on the sheath and looped it through the belt before tightening it around the man's waist. However, as soon as he did, Naofumi's body erupted into shocks.

"Ugh, ARRRRRGHHHH!" he groaned in pain until the blacksmith untied the belt and took it off.

"Kid, you okay?" he asked, brows furrowed in concern.

The hero was panting heavily, trying his best to catch his breath. The shocks were intensely painful. This time, they were so bad that his body felt like it was on fire.

"Yeah...I think so..."

Elhart sighed before putting the weapon back down on the counter. "No use in pushing yourself with this, then. You may just want to accept that you can't use weapons."

Naofumi shook his head. "Maybe I'll just take it with me, or something. Not to fight with, but just to keep people from thinking I'm easy to mess with."

"If you think that'll work..."

The hero flinched as his fingers touched the sheathed sword, fully expecting to feel pain. However, his eyes widened in surprise as he felt nothing. Even when he tried to lift it, he didn't feel a thing.

"Hold on, how can you do that now!?" Elhart asked, crossing his arms. Naofumi shook his head.

"I'm...really not sure."

"Well, no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth. Go ahead and take that one for free. It's not like you can use the damn thing, and it's nothing special in the first place." The blacksmith rolled his eyes. "To be honest, the thing isn't even well sharpened. It's just a hunk of metal, but if you keep it sheathed it should do just fine for...whatever you plan to do with it."

"Really? For free?" Naofumi glared at him in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?"

Elhart clasped his hand on the younger man's shoulder in a fatherly manner. "Kid, I've lived long enough to see a lot of things. I don't know whether you actually did what they say you did, but that look in your eye tells me everything I need to know. Besides, that sword is pretty old and nobody would buy it, so there's no reason for me to charge you for it."

Naofumi looked up in surprise. This was the first person who truly trusted him since the incident in the throne room. "Well, if you say so. I appreciate it old man. I'll be sure to pay you back someday." He said as he walked toward the back door and into a nearby alley.

As he neared the exit, the bald blacksmith spoke once more. "Be safe out there. No telling who's gonna try to fuck with you." Naofumi didn't turn back, but acknowledged his warning with a wave of his hand as he slowly vanished from view.

'_Only one place left to go at this time of the day.'_ Naofumi decided to head to the tavern to eat and think over his situation a little.

Walking into the tavern of the inn, he was met with glares by everyone. Naofumi could feel their gazes on his back everywhere he went. Ignoring the looks and the whispers once again, Naofumi sat down in a corner by himself. A waiter came by, and he made sure to order something different than what he had the day before.

Anything that reminded him of that red headed _witch_ only intensified the anger within him, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

He kept silent, awaiting his meal. When it arrived, he sliced a piece of meat and popped it into his mouth. However, the intense flavors he expected were nowhere to be seen.

Naofumi groaned. _'As if this world could spite me any more than it already has. Now I can't even taste the food.'_ No matter what he ate off of his plate, it had no taste whatsoever. He could feel himself getting filled up by it, but it was far from satisfying.

It was just one more thing on his list of grievances against this new world he was stuck in.

"Hey boys, lookie what we have here!" A voice rang out beside him, and Naofumi pointedly ignored it. "Aww c'mon little shield hero! We're just a couple 'a dandy adventurers lookin' to help save the world an' all that!"

The hero eyed them warily. "Is that so?..." he asked, unconvinced.

"Yeah! Tell 'em boys!" the man said, turning to his two partners who nodded.

"'Course! You're a hero, ain'tcha? Ya can't go around saving the world all by yourself, right? Well, me and the boys are willin' to help ya!"

"Hmm?" Naofumi actually turned his head to look at them. There were three men, all gruff-looking with unkempt hair and beards. To top it off, they all wore expressions of glee. "Then let me make you an offer. You get paid based on how much work you put in. You do nothing, you get paid nothing. Got it?"

"What!? What kinda deal is that!?"

"A fair one. If you don't like it, you can get lost."

"Ahhh well it doesn't sound so bad, boys! All we gotta do is go kill stuff and we get paid, right? He's a hero, so he needs help! We're doing community service, we are!" the man explained to his friends, who nodded in agreement. "Alright, ya got yourself a deal, hero!"

"Fine. Let's go, then." Naofumi said, paying for his meal before walking away. The three men followed him with excitement in their eyes. "We're heading out into the fields to train. If you have a problem with that, then I don't need you."

"No problems with me, boss. But, uh, we need to get some equipment first." Naofumi turned to look at the three men, who were definitely _not_ battle ready. They lacked any real armor, and didn't have any visible weapons aside from a small dagger at the waist.

"And? What you have is plenty."

"Hah!? What do ya mean by that, huh!? Ya tryin' to get us killed!? Ya gotta buy us some new stuff or we can't do much!"

The hero scoffed, turning away from them. "That sounds like your problem, not mine. If you can't do the work, I don't need you." He started walking away, but was stopped by the man's voice.

"Well, you sure act tough for someone who's all alone! I betcha got all kinds 'a money hidden away in those pockets, since you're a hero an' all! How's about ya hand it over and we go our separate ways, yeah?"

"Beat it. I should have known you all were a pathetic bunch." He turned to face the men as they brandished their weapons.

"Then DIE!" The man charged, swinging his knife toward Naofumi. He raised his shield to block the attack, and with a push he flung his attacker backward and onto the ground.

_*__**PING* *TING TI-TI-Tiiiiiiiing***_

A high-pitched sound came from behind him, and Naofumi turned to see the horrified expression of one of the men. In his hand was a dagger with half of the blade missing. "H-he's a monster!"

"Huh?"

"I won't let you hurt my boys! HAAAAAA!" Naofumi turned at the last moment to see the third and final attacker coming his way with his dagger poised to stab. The hero's eyes widened as he realized that he didn't have time to block it with his shield.

_***PING!***_

The blade shattered against his forehead, clattering to the ground nearby just like the other one. The men cowered in fear before screaming and running off. Naofumi bent down and picked up the remnants of the swords before absorbing them into the shield. He didn't unlock anything since it was essentially just scrap metal, but he figured he could have the blacksmith melt it down and reuse it somehow to repay the favor from earlier.

'_So they tried to stab me in the back too, huh? I guess I really can't trust any of these shitty people around here.'_ he thought with a roll of his eyes. _'At least it seems like the shield's protection works all over my body rather than just where the shield is. That'll come in handy, I'm sure.'_

He dusted himself off. _'I was already heading out to the meadow to train, so I may as well go with or without anyone to help.'_

He trudged his way through the streets until he reached the outer gate. The soldiers allowed him to pass, but sneered in his direction. Most of them didn't try to hide their disdain, and Naofumi did his best to ignore them entirely.

But it was difficult. The wounds were still far too fresh in his mind, and he came close to snapping back at them. He was just so thoroughly enraged that he needed to vent his anger on something, and attacking the soldiers would just end with him stuck in jail or something.

He was still only level 1, and those soldiers were probably much higher than that. Shield hero or no, he couldn't take them on by himself.

Naofumi finally made it out into the fields, where he was immediately accosted by balloons. Just like before, their bites did absolutely nothing to him. For several hours he viciously beat on their leathery bodies with his bare fists with no regard for whether he killed them or not. His strikes did barely any damage whatsoever, but for once he was happy to just have something to hit.

After some time, Naofumi was exhausted. His anger still burned, but his body needed rest. During his rampage, he managed to kill a few balloons. He was starting to get close to level 2, but it would still be some time before he reached that hilariously small milestone. The balloon scraps managed to unlock the **Orange Balloon Shield**. It didn't have any impressive effects, looked pretty basic even compared to the **Small Shield**, and overall just gave a tiny defense boost from its equip bonus.

Deciding to explore a little, Naofumi ventured further past the fields and near the outskirts of the forest. He dared not go far into the trees since it was getting dark and stronger monsters were likely to be prowling around. Even if balloons couldn't hurt him, there was a good chance that some nocturnal predator in the forest could.

He stumbled upon a tree with small, red-petaled flowers growing around it. With a shrug, he bent down and plucked some before allowing them to be absorbed by his shield.

**Leaf Shield: conditions met**

**Leaf Shield: ability locked**

**Equip Bonus: absorption ability 1**

New items appeared in his help menu, and Naofumi looked over them. Equip bonuses are given as soon as you unlock the shield. In this case, it had something to do with getting better results while gathering things.

Certain shields would have special abilities tied to them that could only be used while that shield is equipped. But if you used them enough, they would eventually be unlocked for use regardless of the shield you had equipped.

Deciding to test his theory, he thought of the name of the **Leaf Shield** and with a rush of wind, his **Small Shield** became a giant leaf attached to his arm. He took a moment to admire it before bending down to pluck another flower from the ground. His shield and the herb both glowed with a green light before it came loose.

**Aelo: quality: fair to excellent, medicinal herb for treating wounds**

'_So...compared to the Aelo I was gathering before, the quality is much higher.'_ he thought, continuing to harvest the herbs he could find. _'I suppose I could sell these, if I have to. Assuming people are even willing to buy from me, anyway. No harm in having more stuff, especially if it can be used for medicine.'_

By the time he had finished, the sun had already dipped well below the treeline. Visibility was getting poor, and he decided to head back into town where it was safer. As he made it to the market, he met with a trader who was willing to buy the balloon scraps off of him. They were weak monsters who were not worth much, but the trader offered him literal pocket change for what he had.

He took what he could get and moved on, cursing his luck for all the misfortune he'd had in such a short time. The only saving grace was that he had managed to save his money from being stolen when he was betrayed. In the end, the few copper coins he received for his hard efforts were meaningless.

Physically exhausted, Naofumi bought an inn room and collapsed on the bed. However, he found it nearly impossible to sleep. Nowhere was truly safe, even within the city. At any moment, he could be robbed or rudely awakened and dragged off to god knows where for something he didn't even do. And the king wouldn't even hear him out, if he was.

Eventually his body gave up on him and he passed out, but his sleep was uncharacteristically light.

This cycle continued for a full week, with Naofumi going out into the fields for hours at a time. He would kill some balloons, harvest as many herbs as he could find and unlock whatever shields he could. He managed to unlock a few more shields in the **Balloon Series** of shields, like the **Yellow Balloon Shield**, but the bonuses were small and no better than his **Leaf Shield**.

Over that time, he would occasionally try to pull the sword out of its sheath. And every single time, he would get a horrific shock to his arm. There were times when his frustration boiled over and he tried to endure the shocks and pull it out anyway, but he never could. His body simply refused to allow it because of the pain.

It was infuriating. To have a weapon so tantalizingly close but unable to be used was almost worse than not having a weapon at all. Naofumi came to the conclusion that the Holy Shield was a cursed item, destined to bring misfortune upon whatever poor sap was chosen to be its wielder.

He _hated_ the shield. Almost as much as everyone else hated him. He wanted nothing more than to watch the world burn, and for the shield to burn with it.

'_I just want to go home, dammit! I don't care how, just send me home!'_ he thought angrily as he came back from yet another day of meaningless effort in the fields and forest. _'At least there I'm a nobody and I won't be hated just for being me! I don't care how, just send me back!'_

His prayers were answered as he was yanked into a dark alley. He had stayed out later than usual, so the sun was already down. The only lights were the lanterns hung outside peoples' doors. Here in this alleyway, it was nearly pitch black.

"Who do you think you are, touching me?" Naofumi said, crossing his arms as he got a better look at his attackers. However, the group of five individuals were completely covered by thick robes and could not be identified.

"Shhh! Lord Shield, please keep your voice down!" one of them requested, finger to his lips. Based on the tone of voice, the person was definitely male.

"Lord Shield? Now I _know_ you've got nothing good for me. I'm out of here." Naofumi said, turning away to leave.

"W-wait! Please wait, Lord Shield! We mean you no harm!"

He scoffed. "Fuck off. I've heard that before."

The individuals whispered amongst themselves for a moment before removing their hoods. Upon their heads were fluffy, wolf-like ears. Their eyes glowed slightly in the darkness of the night. "Lord Shield, please. We have come as a delegation from Siltvelt to-"

"Not interested."

"P-please hear us out, my Lord!" another of the individuals cried out. "We've heard of your unfair treatment here in Melromarc, and have come to offer you safe passage to Siltvelt! The council is fully willing to assist you in any way possible!"

Naofumi thought it over for a moment, leveling the wolf-people with a glare. "More people who want to screw me over? Trust me, I've heard it all before. 'I want to help you!' or 'You can trust me!' but in the end they always stab me in the back. I've had it. If you approach me again, I'll do everything in my power to kill you."

"Y-yes, Lord Shield! P-please forgive us!" They knelt and bowed their heads in deference. "B-but if you ever change your mind, Siltvelt is always open to you. Our people need their god!"

The hero rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, let them know that their 'god' tells them to fuck off."

The wolf-people melded into the shadows and vanished, leaving Naofumi by himself. He huffed before making his way back to the tavern for yet another tasteless meal and a sleepless night. However, as he trudged along the path, a woman in a nun's outfit ran into him. A bag of fruits and vegetables flew from her arms and onto the path.

"AH! Someone, please help! The shield hero is attacking me!" she cried. Naofumi rolled his eyes and started walking away.

'_It's too late for this shit. I'm not dealing with this.'_ he thought, turning his back and continuing on his way. Only seconds later, he was accosted by knights.

"Halt, shield demon!" one of them shouted. Naofumi turned and glared.

"_What."_

"You don't think we would stop you, after what you've done!? That was an innocent sister of the Church, and you attacked her!"

Naofumi groaned. "She ran into me and dropped her shit. That's not my fault, and I'm not responsible for it."

The knight brandished his sword. "Then you truly are a demon! The sisters are to be respected, not treated like trash! Come with me!"

"I refuse." Naofumi said, crossing his arms. "I have absolutely no reason to follow your orders. I'm already the most hated person in this shithole country of yours, so just let me live my cursed life in peace."

He turned to walk away, but the knight took a step forward. "Hero, if you walk away I _will_ attack you!"

"Be my fucking guest, then!" Naofumi shouted back in anger. "Maybe if I die, I can get away from this place! I never wanted to be here, and I sure as hell don't want to protect any of you! Nobody here deserves it!"

"Enough, demon! I'm bringing you in assaulting a holy sister!"

"No. You'll have to kill me first. Unless your king won't allow it, then just walk away."

The two held a staring contest before the knight charged, swinging his sword down. Naofumi held up his shield to block it, but the force of the blow was enough to send him flying backwards. After he stopped skidding down the path, he groaned in pain.

'_Shit...that hurts! So this is what it's like to actually feel pain in this world. Even if I block the attack, I still take damage if my defense isn't high enough!'_ he thought frantically. _'I can't afford to take more than a few of those hits, and I definitely can't stay here in the city with this guy chasing me. I have to get out of here!'_

He turned and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. "Stop right there, criminal scum! I won't let you escape your judgment!"

Naofumi kept running, but the knight was faster than him even with all of that armor weighing him down. Before he knew it, his back exploded into agony and he fell to the ground. _'It hurts so bad! SO BAD! It hurts so much that I can barely think!'_

"First you rape the princess, then you assault a sister? You're despicable, demon." the knight sheathed his sword before kicking Naofumi in the side. The pain flared up again, and the hero couldn't move. A pool of blood oozed from his back and onto the path, covering his clothes in red.

"You're not even worth killing anymore. Just go off somewhere and die alone. This country doesn't need you, and neither does this world." The knight spat on his body before walking away and leaving him there on the ground.

Naofumi could feel his vision fading in and out as the pain wracked his body. _'Is this...what dying feels like?...'_ he thought, reaching a hand forward to try to crawl away. Anywhere but here in the middle of the street where anyone could attack him. _'No...I don't want to die...Not like this...Not here, after all that's happened...Is this world really so cruel?...'_

After a few minutes of bleeding out on the street, Naofumi's vision went dark and he lost consciousness.

'_Maybe this is for the best...Maybe I can go home, now...'_

He awoke, limbs feeling fuzzy and his head numb. _'Where...am I?'_ he wondered, looking around at what appeared to be an empty void. _'Am I dead?'_

All of a sudden, a small ball of green light appeared in front of him. _'What is this thing?'_ The ball bobbed up and down as if trying to get his attention, and he followed it with his eyes. As soon as it had his full attention, it floated around in small patterns that Naofumi's confused mind couldn't follow.

"What are you, and where am I?" he asked, looking around once again. The ball flew in front of his face, momentarily blinding him before retreating back a few feet and resuming its pattern. Naofumi groaned. "Look, I don't know what you are or why I'm here, but I've been through a lot and I just want to go home."

The ball's patterns slowed down, as if it was saddened by what he said. Then, it began to emit a blinding glow. Naofumi covered his eyes with his hand as the intensity grew too much for his eyes to handle. His body started to feel unbearably hot. It was so hot that he felt like he was melting.

The orb suddenly burst into flames that raged mercilessly around him, filling the empty void with their light and heat. They coalesced into a raging ball of flames in front of him, before bursting and showering the area in sparks. From the inferno was a creature that looked like something out of a hellish nightmare.

It was tall, standing somewhere around 5 meters in height. Though its appearance was that of a man with pointed ears, its teeth were unnaturally sharp and jagged. The monster's eyes glowed a bright red, similar to the flaming cracks that covered its skin like lava. It had a mane of black hair and two long, jagged horns stretching backward across its back. It wore nothing but an ornate loincloth and two greaves on its shins.

Overall, it was an imposing creature that struck fear into Naofumi's heart. _'Is this my punishment? To be annihilated by a monster?'_ he thought, resigning himself to his fate as the beast stood to its full height and crossed its arms.

"**So we meet face to face, hero."**

"You can talk!?" Naofumi exclaimed in shock. Its voice was a deep, resounding bass that rattled the man's bones. He could _feel_ its voice just as much as he could hear it.

It nodded. **"Indeed, I can."**

"W-who are you? _What_ are you!? And why am I here!?" Naofumi asked. His instincts screamed at him to run, but something in his mind told him it was pointless to try. Plus, it hadn't attacked him yet despite its appearance. Maybe it wasn't here to kill him?

It scoffed, breath emitting a puff of flames from its mouth. **"I am called Ifrit, and I am a fire demon. I am also the spirit that dwells within the Holy Shield. Lastly, **_**I**_** am the one who chose you as my hero."**

"Huh!?" Naofumi couldn't believe his ears. This thing was what was inside of his shield, preventing him from using weapons!? _This_ was what dragged him into this godforsaken world to suffer!? "But why!?"

"**I chose you because I believed in you, Naofumi Iwatani."**__Ifrit spoke, idly letting a flame dance around his fingertips. **"Even now, I do not regret my choice."**

"What's so special about me!? You could have picked anyone off the street and they would have been a better choice than me! I mean look at me! I'm dead, aren't I?" Naofumi shouted in the demon's face, but he was unfazed.

"**You underestimate your worth, though with all that has happened I suppose it should be expected."** Ifrit stopped playing with his flame and brought his full attention back to Naofumi. **"I know the first choice almost always faces adversity, but I didn't expect it to be this bad."**

"Wait, you _knew_ this would happen to me and you summoned me anyway!? Fuck you! I died!" Naofumi gave the demon the middle finger. Demon or not, he got screwed and possibly killed because of this thing! "If it weren't for you, I'd probably be reading a good book in the damn library!"

Ifrit chuckled, his deep voice shaking the area. **"Your frustration is understandable, but misplaced. No, you're not dead. Not yet."**

"Yippie..." the man grunted sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"**Enough whining. You're a hero, aren't you? Act like one."**

"I'm not a hero! I'm just some guy you plucked out of a library!"

The demon shook his head. **"Do you want to know why I chose you to be my hero?"**

"Yes! Please, enlighten me o' great one!"

"**I chose you because your heart screams to protect others. Even if your recent experiences have built a wall around your heart, it still yearns for it."**

"Pfft, yeah right. Who would want to protect such a shitty place, anyway?" Naofumi crossed his arms with a scoff. "They didn't even give me a chance before they threw me away. All because of one bitchy princess who thinks she can do whatever she wants and a king who doesn't care."

"**I do."** Ifrit said with a flare of heat that made Naofumi recoil in shock. **"It is my sacred duty to protect this world, and now it is yours as well."**

The man sighed weakly. "Can't you just send me back and choose someone else? I'm tired of this. I'm tired of being hated everywhere I go for something I didn't even do. It's not fair."

"**It isn't, but not every country in this world hates the two of us the way Melromarc does. It was merely coincidence that you were summoned to this place at all, and it isn't something I could control. If it were up to me, you would never have come to this country until you were strong enough to defend yourself."**

"Well that's a relief, at least..." Naofumi said, simmering down slightly. "But can't you send me back home?"

"**I cannot, and I wouldn't even if I could."**

"But why not!?"

"**Because this world **_**needs**_** you, Naofumi Iwatani. **_**I**_** need you."**

"Yeah right..."

Ifrit let out a weak sigh, as if he were a grandfather trying to explain to his son why he's being stupid though the answer is obvious. **"Let me tell you a story."**

"**Long ago, I was created in a world much smaller than this one. Only people of another world are capable of harnessing the power within the Holy Weapons, and that's why we summon heroes like yourself. Even back then the waves were present, and heroes have always been needed to prevent the end of the world. Your very survival protects this world from devastation. If a Holy Hero dies, the waves become harder to stop. That is why this world needs you."**

Naofumi said, mulling over this new information. "How am I supposed to protect anyone from something like that? I can't even hurt anything on my own! I'm hopeless!"

"**You are far from hopeless. Tell me, what is a shield's purpose?"**

"Well, to protect people, of course. But what good is a shield without a sword or something? I can't just stand there and take hits forever!"

"**Why do you feel such a petty need for a weapon?"** Ifrit asked, leaning closer until his flaming red eyes locked with Naofumi's green ones.

"Because! If all I have is a shield, how can I get strong enough to defend anyone? I'm only level 2, and my stats are pitiful aside from my defense! If I can't gain experience and level up, I'll be stuck at a low level while the other heroes get stronger!" Naofumi explained. The demon shook his head, however.

"**That's what allies are for. However, the situation hasn't turned out in our favor. Without companions to aid you, your goal is an impossible one."**

Naofumi slumped. "Man...Why did I have to get summoned to such a shitty place anyway?" he asked with a downcast expression.

"**I don't know why all four heroes were summoned at once, but the best thing you can do is go out there and get as strong as you can. However, whether or not you can fight back, you **_**will**_** need companions you can trust."**

The hero rolled his eyes at that. "Oh yeah, and I'm just _swimming_ in people who want to help. I can't even get people to stay within two meters of me without wanting to kill me."

"**Then you should seek allies elsewhere, and let me tell you why that's so important. Each of the four Holy Weapons, as well as the Vassal Weapons, possesses a variety of methods to strengthen itself. These methods can be shared and used by all of the heroes, thus increasing their power. When combined, the heroes become infinitely more powerful than your average person."**

"Then why wasn't anything like that in my help menu!? That would have been pretty helpful to know earlier!" Naofumi pouted and crossed his arms.

Ifrit shook his head. **"I don't know for certain. Something interfered during your summoning that limited the information available to you."**

"Great...if it isn't you keeping me from using weapons, it's somebody else who can control what I know."

"**Then allow me to tell you how to make the shield stronger."** Ifrit waved his hand and three stone tablets appeared. The language was foreign to Naofumi, and he couldn't read it at all. After a few moments, the characters rearranged themselves into Japanese characters. **"The first method is to know and share the strengthening methods of other weapons."**

Naofumi rolled his eyes. "Oh that's super helpful, considering the other heroes probably hate my guts right now."

"**The **_**second **_**method," **the demon completely ignored his comment and continued, **"is the ability to strengthen skills and magic using energy. Though this is not an easy method to master, its effects are extremely powerful and should not be underestimated."**

"Okay...so yet another thing I can't use. I'm starting to see a pattern here."

"**The third and final method is simple. By building trust with others, both of you become stronger. The stronger that bond of trust, the more the two of you will increase in power. On top of having people to make up for your weaknesses and watch your back, **_**this**_** is why you need to find companions you can trust."**

"Okay what the hell!? I can't use any of those right now!" Naofumi whined. "I don't know what the methods are for the other idiots, so that one's worthless unless I can get on their good side! Another one requires me to trust people, which is _so_ not happening anytime soon! And the last one is apparently so complicated that I won't know how to use it! These power up methods suck!"

"**Then it's up to you to turn things around, Naofumi. You may have gotten off to a bad start-"**

"I almost died! That's the _worst_ kind of start I could have!"

"**But**__**you aren't dead, are you?"** Ifrit stood back to his full height as flames flickered around him. **"So tell me, if I allowed you to return and wield a weapon like you **_**oh so need**_** to do, would you continue to fight for this world's survival?"**

"YES!" Naofumi shouted in excitement despite the demon's snide tone. His eyes lit up. This was his chance! Even if it took him awhile to find people who weren't complete assholes, at least he'd be able to fight monsters and level up! He'd be able to get strong and shove it in everyone's face!

"**However, remember that what you have is **_**not**_** a Holy Weapon. It will be as mundane as any other weapon you find, and will be equally as weak. Unlike what the Sword, Spear, and Bow heroes may have, your shield will not be increasing your attack power by much at all."**

Naofumi nodded in understanding, and the demon continued. **"Now before I bring you back from the brink of death, let me leave you with one last piece of wisdom. Control yourself. Control your emotions. **_**Do NOT**_** let them control you in times of stress, or you will find yourself overcome by them."**

The hero sweatdropped. _'Well that was cryptic...'_

"**In any case, I do not foresee us speaking ever again. I only allowed this meeting because of your circumstances, and the other spirits are not thrilled with me about it. Rest assured that I am watching. Demon or no, I exist to protect. And now, so do you."**

The flames erupted from around Ifrit's body before coalescing around Naofumi. They swirled and licked at his arms and legs, but didn't burn him. As his vision was covered by flames, he heard the shield spirit's voice one last time.

"**Don't let me down, Naofumi Iwatani. I'm counting on you."**


	3. Chapter 4 (rewritten)

**REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWRITE!**

**Here's the fourth chappie of the all new, all revamped, ALL SPICY Shielded Savior. Now with non-GMO ingredients.**

**DISCLAIMER FOR ANYONE READING THIS STORY FOR THE FIRST TIME: Any chapters that have yet to be labeled with (rewritten) are the original script, and there may be inconsistencies that have yet to be addressed. Although I am working as quickly as possible to rewrite the story entirely, it will take some time. Please bear with me as I try to write over 10,000 words a day (ha!).**

**Enjoy!**

A bright light encompassed an unoccupied room, illuminating the dark street outside of the window and gaining a curious glance from any passersby. Naofumi groaned as his eyes slowly opened. _'Where...am I?'_ he wondered, before he shot upright in shock. _'The street! I was in the market when I...got...stabbed...'_ his thoughts quickly slowed down as he came to a realization.

He didn't feel any pain in his back! It was completely gone! But how?

The man realized that he was in a bed, but it definitely wasn't at an inn. The furnishings were too nice, and the wooden floor beneath his feet was too well-kept. It was noticeably lacking in questionable white stains and the stench of beer.

'_Okay, at least I'm not injured anymore. But what is this place? And how did I get here?'_ he thought, pushing the sheets off of himself. His trusty shield was attached to his arm as always, but his sword was nowhere to be seen.

'_Jeez. As soon as I get permission to use it, someone goes and steals the damn thing! Just my luck!'_

It was still dark outside, and Naofumi considered opening the window and escaping. He didn't know who had brought him here or why, but based on the fact that his sword was stolen he couldn't necessarily trust them.

Unless some random person had walked by and taken it before the person brought him here. That was another possibility he had to consider.

"Oh well, guess I'm not getting anywhere by sitting around." he mumbled to himself, kicking his legs over the side of the bed and walking out of the room. The house he was in was fairly large, but he opted to go down the stairs. If someone had saved him, they may still be awake. Now that he wasn't on death's door, he could probably escape if things got dangerous.

"Oh, you're awake. Good.

Naofumi jumped as the voice came from behind him. He turned to see the dark silhouette of Elhart, the blacksmith from earlier. "It's you..." he mumbled in surprise.

"Don't look _too _happy to see me, kid. After all, I just saved your damn life. Speaking of that, should you really be up and about?" the bald man asked, crossing his arms.

"Wait...you saved me? Why?"

Elhart sighed wearily. "Kid, do you really think I'm gonna let you die in the middle of the street like that? Doesn't matter if you actually _did_ do what they said you did, you don't deserve to die like that."

Naofumi glared. "I didn't do it."

"I never said you did, but it doesn't really matter. What the hell happened to you?" the blacksmith asked, walking past him and into a small kitchen area before lighting a lantern. "Come sit down with me. You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Why do you care so much?" Naofumi asked, following him and sitting down at the table.

The old man sighed and shook his head. "Listen, I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime. Heroes don't wind up nearly dead in the middle of the city. They just don't. If we need you guys to save the world, why would someone want you dead? It doesn't make any sense."

The hero allowed his glare to soften as he slumped forward onto the table. "Let's just say everyone in this city has it out for me, and up until now I've had no choice but to suck it up and deal with it."

Elhart raised one eyebrow in interest. "Until now?"

Realization dawned on Naofumi, and he looked up at his savior. "That reminds me, did I still have that sword when you found me?"

"Sure did. I figured it didn't do ya much good, so I put it in the back until you woke up."

"Can I see it? I think I figured something out."

Elhart shrugged. He stood up and walked into the back of the house before returning with a familiar, if not painfully plain, sword. "Here it is. Dunno what you possibly could have done to-"

He was cut off as the hero grabbed the sword and instantly unsheathed it with a rough _***shink***_ noise. The blade reflected the small amount of light coming from the lantern, illuminating Naofumi's face.

"So you managed to make it work for yourself, eh? Good for you." The blacksmith sat back down. "But can ya use it is the next question. Otherwise you're still basically at step one."

Naofumi nodded. "Don't ask me how, but...I know I can use it now."

"Works for me. As long as you don't wind up dead in a ditch somewhere, my conscience is clear. Keep the thing for free, since it's useless to me anyway."

"Hey...I, um, want to say...thanks...for saving me." Naofumi averted his eyes with a downcast expression. "I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble, so I appreciate it. And thanks for believing me, too."

The man waved him off. "Nah, don't worry so much about it, kid. Just pay me back by coming to my shop first, yeah? I could always use the business."

Naofumi chuckled. _'He reminds me of myself back when I was working the markets in my guild. Always looking to make a profit.'_

"You've got yourself a deal, then."

Elhart stood and flicked off the lantern. "Feel free to crash for the night, or go to an inn. I don't really care all that much as long as you're outta here by the time I open for the morning. G'night, kid."

"Yeah, um, good night."

It took him nearly ten minutes of deliberating in the darkness to decide on whether or not to stick around at Elhart's house. In the end, he decided to purchase a room for the night at an inn.

It wasn't that he disliked the blacksmith, but the wounds of betrayal were still far too fresh for him to trust anyone just yet. He felt much more comfortable in the privacy of his own room than in someone else's house, especially if he was already in their debt for peeling his limp body off the street.

He already knew from experience that the kindest faces could be hiding a knife behind their back.

On his way to the inn, however, the hero noticed that he didn't feel any sort of fatigue or exhaustion whatsoever. It wasn't that he felt particularly energetic, but something told him that trying to sleep was a waste of time. After a moment of deliberation, he decided to head out into the fields and see what he was now capable of.

'_Hopefully things will be a little different, now that I have a weapon I can use.'_ he thought to himself, passing by the guard at the gate who noted his presence with a silent scowl. _'May as well start off small, though. Balloons are good target practice.'_

Naofumi arrived at the meadow, drew his weapon, and took his stance. It was crude, untrained, and shaky, but it would do against balloons. They couldn't hurt him anyway, so there was no reason to be afraid of them.

He sprinted forward through the tall grass, aggravating the orange creatures into attacking him. They flew from their leafy homes and chased after him with snarls and chomping teeth.

After gathering a small group of them, Naofumi turned and raised his weapon. He swung down at a balloon that passed by him, but it was too fast. The sword was far from heavy, but he had put too much force into his swing and the edge ended up buried into the dirt below him.

One of the other balloons latched onto his leg and began gnawing at his pants to no avail. The Hero yanked his weapon free and gently stabbed the small creature, popping it instantly.

Seeing the experience he gained in the corner of his vision, he smiled. Nearly an hour's worth of effort was done in mere moments. Turning to his side, he swiped his sword at another balloon that was circling him. This time, he controlled his strike so it was a little more accurate.

The blade struck its intended target, and another balloon popped into small shreds of fabric.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins once more as his excitement grew into a pseudo-high. The feeling of controlling his own destiny drove him into a frenzy. For hours he stayed in the field, slaying balloons and getting slightly more skilled with his sword.

Sitting up against the tree, Naofumi looked up toward the sky. Its color was beginning to shift as the morning drew nearer. He sighed in relief, wiping sweat from his brow.

'_I'm already level 5, and all I've done is kill balloons that can't even hurt me.' _he thought, taking stock of his stats. Most of them had increased a sizable amount, but his attack remained the same. _'I guess Ifrit was right when he said my attack stat wouldn't really change much on its own. I'll need to keep my equipment in top shape if I want any chance of beating stronger monsters.'_

He slowly began to close his eyes as exhaustion tugged on the corners of his vision. The hero let himself relax into the crook of the tree trunk. Within minutes, he fell asleep amongst the sounds of bird chirping in the morning.

His sleep was interrupted by the sun's rays glaring through his eyelids. Squinting and shielding his eyes with his shield arm, he realized that the Holy Shield was pretty good for shade as well. Finally opening his eyes, Naofumi noticed his surroundings. All around him were orange, yellow, and red scraps of balloons from his rampage the night before.

The man cleaned up the remains, unlocking the **Red Balloon Shield**. As with the rest of the **Ballon Series**, it was only useful for its small defense boost. He stretched his arms above his head, enjoying popping noise as his joints released their tension.

'_If I'm not necessarily getting stronger just by leveling up, I'll need to make sure I know how to use this thing. As it stands, I'm pretty terrible with swords. I'm lucky to hit a moving target, and in the middle of a real battle I need to know what I'm doing.'_ he thought to himself before his stomach growled. _'I should probably get something to eat, as well.'_

Turning back toward the city, Naofumi began his short trek to the market district. He idly noticed the small spring in his step that was absent before, and attributed it to his newfound independence.

He may not find any allies here in Melromarc, but at least he could fend for himself until he did.

Even though the whispering and jeering from the townsfolk were as present as ever, Naofumi found them a bit easier to ignore. Maybe it was the knowledge that he wasn't completely helpless, or maybe he was simply done with playing the victim, but he managed to make it to a tavern without losing his temper.

His meal was still as bland as before, which was upsetting. The man was hoping beyond hope that his sense of taste would return. Eating food, even if it wasn't particularly tasty, was one of his pleasures in life. To have it taken away annoyed him.

Naofumi made his way to a familiar stall in the marketplace, spotting a bald head glistening in the afternoon sun. The man had an array of weapons on display, and he stood with his usual brown apron on.

"Ah, heya kid!" Elhart waved him over.

"Hey old man, long time no see." he joked, stopping in front of the blacksmith and crossing his arms with a smile. As the blacksmith chuckled, some people passing by eyed the duo with confusion.

Why was the shield hero here, and why was this man talking to him so kindly? Hadn't he heard what that beast did?

"You're back sooner than I thought, and a lot dirtier to boot. What, did you decide to roll around in the mud this morning?" the older man laughed, pinching his nose and waving his hand to diffuse the stench that wafted from the younger adult.

Naofumi snorted and rolled his eyes. "Not quite. Here, I've got a present for you." He quickly searched through his menu and pulled the balloon scraps out of seemingly nowhere as a giant ball. It was large enough for several groups of children to make game balls out of.

Elhart looked at him in shock, eyebrows raised. "Did you..." Naofumi nodded with the slightest hint of a smirk. "You did, you little bastard!" the scarred man laughed and reached over the counter to give a light punch to the dark haired hero's shoulder.

"I'd tell you the whole story, but you wouldn't believe me if I did. I doubt anyone would, but..." he rolled his eyes, but then refocused them on the shopkeeper. Elhart had a feeling he knew where this was going. "If I'm being honest, I need to be better at using a sword than I am. Not everything is as weak or easy to hit as a balloon."

"Sorry kid, I'm no teacher. I may have some experience from my adventuring days, but those are long behind me. The most I can really do is show you the basics; the rest will be up to you to practice on your own."

The hero nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks...I guess I'll owe you another one."

"Let me close up the shop and we'll head to one of my old spots. You're lucky that I haven't had many customers these days. You'll pay me back by buying all my shit, got it?"

Naofumi had the decency to give a sheepish chuckle. "Yeah, I'll need some new stuff of my own anyway. You're probably the only person I trust even a little bit around here, so rest assured you've got my business for life."

"Ha! You've either got the tongue of a merchant, or you're talking out of your ass. I hope it's the former. Anyway, let's get going before it gets too late in the afternoon." Elhart lifted the display weapons off the counter effortlessly and began to walk back into his shop.

Entering through the back door, the blacksmith placed the weapons on another table and turned to face his guest. "Give me a few minutes. I need to get changed and we can start. Feel free to take a look around the shop while you're here. Maybe you'll find something you like." Naofumi nodded as the man disappeared into the house..

'_I never really thought about weapons this much. These things are so ancient compared to the guns, bombs, and drones from my own world. I had no idea there was so much... variety.'_ He examined weapons hanging on walls and laying on tables.

From swords, axes, and maces, all the way up to more exotic ones like poleaxes, gauntlet claws, and double bladed staves. Naofumi eyed them with interest as he weighed the pros and cons of each one based on appearance alone. All of a sudden, a glimmer of light caught his eye. Walking over to a corner, he noticed what he had seen out of his peripheral vision.

A massive warhammer was hung on the wall, almost like a trophy. Its metal was a dark grey, almost black. Engravings along its head made the weapon seem more ceremonial than practical. Despite this, it would be extremely dangerous in the right hands. Assuming it could withstand repeated impacts like a hammer should.

"Ah I see you found Brunvild. A beautiful weapon, and very deadly. She used to be my weapon of choice back in the day, but we're both retired from duty now."

Naofumi turned as the shop's owner returned. The blacksmith closed his eyes as he ran his hand gently along the hammer's shaft More questions spawned in his mind, but sensing the emotional attachment to the object, Naofumi remained silent.

After a few moments, Elhart withdrew his hand and looked at the younger man. "Alright, let's see if this old adventurer still knows a thing or two about swords." He chuckled, motioning for the Hero to follow him. He shouldered a pack filled with wooden sticks.

The two remained silent for a while before coming to the entrance of the forest. Large trees towered over them and blanketed the ground in a glimmering dance of shadows and light that managed to slip through the leaves, its pattern constantly shifting ever so slightly as the winds blew past the branches.

After walking several minutes into the brush, they settled in an open area of the forest. There was a small, open field with a few fallen trees near the outer edges. Overall, it was a quiet and isolated area to practice.

"Alright, we're here."

Elhart sat his pack on one of the fallen trees, pulling out several of the long, wooden sticks. Now that he got a better look at them, they appeared similar to bamboo. But their color was wrong, so they must have been a different kind of tree native to this world.

"This is my old practice spot back in the old days. It's far enough out of the way that you can practice without being interrupted. It's a pretty relaxing spot too, if I must say so myself." the blacksmith said as he grabbed one of the sticks.

Walking toward the center of the circular field, the blacksmith stabbed the stick deep into the dirt. After wiggling it to make sure it was stable, he took a few steps back and unsheathed the sword he had at his waist.

Holding it with both hands, Elhart closed his eyes and adopted his stance. His feet were placed slightly more than shoulder length apart with his left in front of his right, and he held the blade horizontally near his cheek. He took deep breaths, holding that position.

'_He looks so...relaxed.'_ the Hero thought, staring intently at the man in front of him.

Suddenly, the man's eyes shot open and he took a powerful step forward. He brought the weapon across his body and slashed diagonally downward from his right side in a quick flourish. Naofumi's eyes widened at how fast and fluid the motion was, and they widened further as he noticed the clean cut straight through the pole in the ground.

"There. That's one of the most basic stances and slashes you can find. If you get good at it, you can play around with it a little to suit your own style. That would be the case anyway, if you planned to use your sword in two hands."

He pointed at the hero's right arm, where the shield sat. "But if that thing is as special as they make it out to be, it'd be a shame not to put it to good use. You're better off using weapons in one hand."

He paused a moment before continuing. "I imagine your defense is and always will be your highest by far, considering what you are, so you can use that to your advantage. You know how your defense works, right?"

"Huh? What do you mean, 'how it works'?"

Elhart sighed, scratching his head. "You mean you don't know how your defense works at all? Didn't you say you went out to fight a bunch of monsters last night?"

The hero crossed his arms. "I did, but balloons apparently aren't enough to hurt me."

"Even at level 1? Impressive." the blacksmith said with one eyebrow raised. "But your defense stat protects your whole body. It isn't like you _have_ to block every attack with your shield, since your entire body is protected by your defense stat. Watch."

The man walked up and punched Naofumi in the chest. The force of that alone was enough to send him careening off into a nearby tree. As he peeled himself off the wood, he fell to the ground gasping for air. Elhart laughed heartily, walking up to him.

"So? This old man surprise you at all?"

Naofumi wheezed out his reply. "How...the hell...?"

"When you get to be level 89, you don't need a weapon to deal with common folks."

'_This guy is level 89!? Why the hell isn't _he_ out fighting the waves!? Those things wouldn't stand a chance!'_ the hero asked internally. He slowly lifted himself off of his knees, panting heavily.

"Now, let me show you the same hit against your shield." The blacksmith hit the man's shield with a punch with little to no warning, sending him flying back into the tree with a shattering crunch of bark. He slid to the ground, eyes rolled into the back of his head from the shock.

"Hahahahaha! See? I told ya so, didn't I? That shield might help you deflect things, but in the end all it does it boost your defense stat. That's what's actually gonna keep you safe out there when you're fighting real monsters. It's not the end of the world if you get hit somewhere your shield can't block."

Naofumi groaned in agony, not moving from his place on the ground. _'Now that he mentions it, those thugs from before tried stabbing me with a knife too. The blade just broke against my forehead, somehow. I didn't think too much about it before, but that's kind of...overpowered.'_

If his defense protected him without any effort whatsoever, what would happen if his defense was so high that nothing could hurt him? Could he just stand there and take attacks like they were nothing?

Naofumi narrowed his eyes at the blacksmith who struck him. The blows actually hurt a considerable amount, and it made him wonder if the man was holding back. Remembering that the **Small Shield** wasn't his only option, he found his voice.

"This isn't the only shield I have, either. I can unlock new shields by absorbing things into it, and some are stronger than others." Elhart looked shocked as the **Small Shield** glowed with a bright light before being replaced by the **Leaf Shield**. Moments later, it repeated the process and a metal vambrace appeared on his arm as the **Peddler's Shield** appeared.

"Amazing... You mean you can change what shield it is just by thinking it?" He walked up to the younger man and placed his hands on his shoulders, face beaming with a smile. "Do you know what this means!? You can find shields of all shapes and sizes in this world! Being able to switch them on the fly means you can not only adapt to any sort of situation, but also change up your offense as well!"

Startled by the new information, Naofumi concluded that he had a lot more power at his disposal than he ever imagined. A shield is useful mostly for defending, and if you can adapt your defense to whatever you're fighting against, your opponent will have a lot more trouble taking you down. Whether you have a legendary spear, sword or bow is irrelevant if you can't take a hit. Having a perfect defense is a lot more valuable than a strong offense.

"I didn't think about it that much, to be honest. You definitely know what you're doing." Naofumi noted. This made the old man's smile grow even larger, if it were possible.

However, the smile faded until it was barely noticeable. "That's incredible. I guess they weren't joking about the heroes being ridiculously powerful." He said, still slightly shocked by the news. "But that won't do you any good if you have no idea how to use any of it. Go ahead and try doing what I did with the sword. I'll see if there's anything I can help you with."

The shield hero drew his sword and stood in a bastardized version of the elder man's stance. His feet were too close together, his blade was awkwardly held off to his side but still raised mostly horizontally, and rather than relaxed he seemed stiff as a board.

Observing silently, the blacksmith motioned for him to take a swing. Taking a few deep breaths, Naofumi let out a roar as he swung the blade diagonally downward toward the pole in front of him. He instantly felt his hands vibrate as the sword struck the intended target, but it didn't cut as he expected it to.

The pole shook slightly in its spot with little more than a thin cut on one side. Taking a closer look at the damage, Elhart circled the pole before backing away and crossing his arms.

"I'll be honest, your stance is horrible in almost every way. Your feet were too close together and your sword was at the wrong angle to begin with, so it's unsurprising that you cut it too vertically. That's why you only shaved a little bit off the side before it bounced off. Lastly, you put way too much emphasis on your arms rather than your whole body." He finished, baffling the younger man.

Regaining his breath, Naofumi responded. "I thought you said you weren't a good teacher?"

"I had to fight when I was younger, but I've never had to teach anyone else before. I'm used to learning by having a blunt sword smacked against me whenever I made a mistake. Now I'm too old to be doing that kind of training with you, so you'll have to settle for this. You should have seen the number of bruises I had every day.".

Shivering at the thought of such hellish training, the hero gulped. "Yeah, no thanks."

A laugh was his response. "Thought so. Anyway, let me explain some of the finer details on what you need to improve on. From what I saw, you just need to put your feet slightly farther apart, make sure to hold the sword up a bit higher, and you need to sort of _twist_ your body with your swing. It's a bit hard to explain."

Elhart adopted his stance once more. "Let me show you slowly. Holding your sword up here," he motioned with his head toward his right cheek, where the blade was held, "is important because it gives your arms more room to move. If you keep your arms too tight to your body, you won't have anywhere to move your arms to block attacks."

The man continued his demonstration. "You have that shield of yours so you may be able to get away with it occasionally, but it's a terrible habit to make. You need to have the basics down perfectly before you start messing with stances and styles or mixing them together."

Naofumi nodded, sensing that there was a lot more to the old man than he had originally thought.

'_So he's a retired adventurer that's a stickler for the basics? Must have had one hell of a teacher.'_

The blacksmith nodded in return. "People train their entire lives to master a single weapon, and most never actually succeed. If you aren't learning or practicing, you're stagnating, and that's just as bad as going backwards. As long as you keep trying at it, you'll get better."

"Anyway, let's move on." He stood in his stance again. "Now let's talk about the swing. Remember how I told you that you need to twist into your swing? Let me show you that slowly."

He demonstrated what he meant, slowly raising the sword behind his head as he stepped forward. He slightly twisted his body at his hips before swinging diagonally downward. "The step is just as important as the swing, and the twist is just as important as that. Each one of those is critical to making the most of your attack. Take one or two away and your attack may deal the same amount of damage, but it won't be as clean. Someone who's more skilled than you could easily deflect a half-hearted slash."

Elhart gently stabbed the sword into the dirt. "That's one of the most basic strikes you'll find, but there are hundreds if not thousands of styles and strikes out there. Remember that you need to change up your offensive depending on what - or who - you're fighting against. Sometimes, using all of your strength in one blow isn't the right choice. But that's something you'll figure out on your own."

He stood aside and motioned his hand toward the pole that still stood in the ground. "Now, show me if you know what I'm talking about." Naofumi nodded and took his stance.

It was slightly better than before. His feet were in the right position, his sword was a bit more level, and he looked a bit more comfortable in general.

"Good start, now take your swing. If I don't see half of that stick on the ground you'll be my errand boy at the shop for a day, got it?" he joked, half seriously. Naofumi couldn't tell whether the man would follow through on his threat, but he didn't want to take that chance.

He breathed in, then out. In. Out. Then he pushed off his back foot, twisted his upper body and brought the blade down on his wooden opponent.

_***thunk***_

Among the sound of heavy breathing, one could hear an object hit the dirt a few feet away.

"Not a bad strike, kid! That was a lot better than your last one, easily twice as good. Now, switch to using the blade in your one hand and try again. The stance is a bit different, but I'll give you some pointers. Remember that this is a short sword that's meant to be used in one hand, so anything bigger than this will probably need both."

The two men spent the rest of the afternoon in the forest, training. It was nearing sunset as the sound of a growling stomach broke the silence.

The older of the two laughed softly. "Guess that's all we can do for today. You've improved quite a bit kiddo! If you stick with it long enough you might be able to beat me one day!"

Elhart laughed heartily, but Naofumi only cracked a smile. "But let's head on home, I'm sure you're tired from swinging the hunk of metal around for the last few hours and a growing boy like you needs to eat."

Naofumi absentmindedly flexed his muscles and looked at them. _ 'I don't think I'm still growing. I'm 20 years old for God's sake.'_ His stomach growled again. _'...But food does sound pretty good right about now.'_

Picking up his pack, Elhart and Naofumi began their walk back to the city in silence. The younger man internally debated whether to break the silence, but eventually he decided it was worth it.

"Old m- I mean, Elhart. Thank you...for everything." he said, looking away.

"What do you mean, kid? You're paying me back by buying from me, so it's not like I did all of this out of the goodness of my heart or anything."

"You're probably the only person I can trust these days, so it means a lot that you're willing to go so far out of your way." The older man shook his head and looked ahead at the sunset peeking through the trees.

"Don't worry about it. We all need someone who's there for us when everything falls apart." He was silent for a moment before continuing. "You remind me of my nephew...back in the day." 

Naofumi said nothing in response, but his eyebrows shot up in surprise. The blacksmith soon continued. "He had a lot of spunk like you. A lot of problems of his own, but he wanted to be better than he was. I respected him for that, and I respect you for the same reason."

"He died a while back, though. Killed by monsters out in the middle of nowhere." At this revelation, the Hero stopped and turned to his elder while trying to hold in words of pity. "In the end, I didn't even get to bury his body."

Naofumi couldn't find the words to say, and instead opted for a quiet "I'm sorry for your loss". A solemn nod was his response, and the two didn't talk for the rest of the trip back.

However, they both felt like they had found someone to confide in about life's greatest challenges.

They arrived at the city as the sun set below the horizon. The streets were nearly empty as villagers holed up in their homes for the night with family and friends. Outside of Elhart's shop, a lantern hung beside the door bathed them in a flickering light.

Naofumi decided it was time to speak. "Again, thanks for everything. It...means a lot, especially right now." He looked away, unwilling to let his emotions show on his face.

The older man lightly punched the younger one's shoulder. "You can thank me by staying alive out there. Not only do you remind me of my nephew, but you're going to be my best customer, _right_?" He emphasized the final word, making the hero gulp and nod.

"Good, then we have a deal. Oh! I almost forgot. I noticed that you don't have that leather armor I sold you, so you may want to buy something else. I do custom orders so if you have a certain style or pattern you want, just give me an idea and I'll make it happen. Consider that the next step of your payment for pulling your ass off the street." he joked.

"I guess I can't argue with that."

Elhart turned to open the door before slamming it shut behind him.

Naofumi turned to walk away. It was getting late, so dinner was a priority. _'Today was pretty helpful, but I'll be on my own after this.'_ he thought, hands in his pockets as he walked away slowly. Ifrit's words replayed in his mind, and he stopped in his tracks.

'_But one of my power-up methods is to trust people and be trusted in return. How in the world am I going to find someone I can trust like the old man?'_ he wondered before sighing. _'Should I ask him to join me or something? He's obviously crazy strong, but he has a shop to run. If he was interested in following a hero and saving the world, he'd have done it already.'_

Kicking a stray pebble across the street, Naofumi slumped. _'Maybe Ifrit had the right idea, and I should get out of this place. Another country may be more willing to give me a hand rather than push my face in the dirt.'_

All of a sudden, the door slammed open behind him and he jumped in shock.

"Oh yeah, I have something for you. Wait here a second and I'll bring it out." Elhart said before retreating back into his shop. A few moments later he reappeared holding a dark green cloak and a small dagger. "Take these. The less obvious you are about being the shield hero, the less likely someone tries to scam you or come after you. And if they do, you'll have a weapon that you can hide easily."

Thanking the man for yet another gift, Naofumi turned to walk back to the inn. He wrapped the cloak around his neck before fastening the brooch that held it together. He attached the sheathed dagger onto the backside of his belt where it wouldn't be seen.

'_He's a really good guy after all. Never thought he'd be so much help when he was threatening me only a day ago, but I'll take what I can get.'_

He looked around as he walked. The streets were completely empty now, with nothing but the sound of crickets and the occasional small animal to disturb the silence.

"Well well, if it isn't the shield hero. I see you've been working alone lately, ever since the..._incident_, yes sir." Naofumi turned, only to have to look downward to find the owner of the voice.

He was greeted by a short, pudgy man with a filthy mustache and an extremely expensive looking outfit that looked like something that belonged in a circus.

"What do you want? I'm busy here." he said, turning to walk away. The fact that the man chose to bring up the painful reminder made him seem far less endearing than he would have been.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not one to judge. We all make decisions, and not all of them are correct... or legal."

"Get lost. People hate me enough already as it is. I don't need to get involved with your schemes."

"Oh, but you have the wrong idea, yes sir! I have an offer for you. You don't seem like the type of person to turn down a good deal, and those other heroes are too high-and-mighty for my business." Naofumi questioned what type of business a man like this could possibly run, and he didn't like what he came up with.

"What kind of deal are you offering? Depending on your answer, I may walk away right now." he said coldly. He didn't want to get caught up with the wrong crowd when he was already public enemy number one.

"Oh I'm sure you'll be most interested, yes sir! Come, follow me and I will show you my wares."

He followed the mustachioed man, who held the flap of the tent open for the taller man to enter. Naofumi was struck with a variety of smells as the flap closed. _'Ugh, what is that stench!?'_ Large cages were stacked to the roof of the tent, and inside of them were a plethora of creatures. Though in the darkness of the evening, he couldn't examine them in great detail.

"Let me tell you the truth now. I work in the slave trade, and these," he waved his arms outward, showcasing his stock, "are my wares."

"They're quiet." Naofumi noted.

"They know that they'll be punished if they make noise, yes sir."

"I see."

"I have slaves of all kinds here. They can serve a variety of purposes, but the one thing they all share in common is that they _cannot disobey you_." That piece of information interested Naofumi, and he was intrigued but disgusted at the same time.

"Tell me more. Why can't they disobey me? I would imagine most slaves would try to kill me the instant I let my guard down." he said. The stout man stroked his mustache as he continued walking toward a specific location.

"Slaves are branded with a magical crest made from an ink mixed with the slave master's blood. Whenever they try to defy the will of the owner, they suffer a _deliciously_ painful dose of agony. Oh the stories I could tell you!" the man spoke wistfully. Hiding his scowl, Naofumi nodded and continued looking around.

'_Owning a person doesn't exactly feel right, but I don't have much of an option. Them not being able to defy me sounds interesting, though. If I know they can't disobey me, maybe I can put my trust in them.' _he thought, following the slave trader deeper into the bowels of the tent.

Eventually they stopped in front of a large cage. It had a tarp covering the entire cage so nothing could be seen inside, but the hero could hear the sound of snarling on the other end. The slave owner grabbed the corner of the cloth and tore it off, revealing what appeared to be a half-human, half-wolf hybrid. It stood like a human on two feet, but the rest of its body looked completely like a wolf. It was covered in patchy dark fur with dark pants shredded past the knees, and its eyes glowed a bright yellow as it snarled at them.

"This my friend, is a level 75 wolfman." The wolfman grabbed the bars of the cage and roared at them, trying his best to bend the bars but was unsuccessful.

"I'm still a bit new to this world, so tell me more about these creatures."

"For all intents and purposes, demi-humans and beast-men alike are considered people. Though in Melromarc, where they're seen as only one step away from monsters, they tend to find it difficult to live. Most end up like this one, as a slave. He's killed his fair share of men and monsters alike in the colosseum."

The slave trader snapped his fingers and a sigil appeared on the wolfman's chest. Purple electricity sparked from it, causing him to howl in pain.

"But like any other slave, punishment is as simple as a snap of the fingers." After a few moments, the sigil vanished and the creature retreated to the corner of its cage. It panted with heavy breaths. "Though it can be set so a snap of the fingers isn't necessary."

'_That must be excruciatingly painful, to cause something so strong to become so...docile.'_ Naofumi wondered. "Anything else I should know about it?" he asked.

"You can set the conditions and the punishments however you like. Don't want them to lie to you? Or is it that you don't want them to fight without your permission? You have total control, yes sir."

"So, how much?" he asked. The wolfman was significantly higher level than he was, so having him around would make his job much easier.

"How about 15 gold pieces?"

Naofumi scoffed but remained where he stood, seemingly unafraid. "So you're showing me your best slave, knowing that I couldn't possibly afford it? Clever strategy." The shorter man laughed and affirmed his suspicions.

"Quite right, yes sir! You have a good eye for business, I feel. Now, what kind of slave are you looking for?"

Naofumi fixed his glare on the shorter man and responded. "I need a cheap slave. One that's obedient." He felt terrible for seriously considering slavery, but felt it was necessary. If he knew that his slave couldn't stab him in the back, he'd feel a little more at ease.

Besides, he didn't have to treat the slave horribly. As long as he fed it and kept it alive, it could potentially aid him in combat. Though if it slowed him down, he could always sell it back later.

"Ah I have several excellent choices for you then."

Walking a ways down the path, the two stopped at a group of cages. Inside each one was a demi-human, mostly shrouded in darkness. "Here are some of the cheapest slaves I can offer, but they are still worthwhile if obedience is what you're after. I have a rabbit type, a raccoon type, a lizardman, and-."

The man seemed genuinely surprised, but not heartbroken as he looked into the fourth cage. "It seems that this one died in the last hour or so. I'm afraid I don't sell corpses, so the fox type is no longer available. A pity, she had _such_ beautiful eyes when she was scared."

Swallowing the bile in his throat, Naofumi tried his best not to show any sort of emotion in front of the slave trader. He looked across the small group with calculating eyes.

"The rabbit demi-human has a genetic deformity and a useless arm, and the raccoon demi-human is terribly ill and has a mental disorder. The lizardman is in decent health, but he is considerably more expensive." the slave trader explained.

'_A genetic deformity alone sounds bad, but a useless arm sounds like it could cause issues. Illness I can treat, but a mental disorder may be more than I can put up with. The lizardman sounds like the best option.'_ he wondered.

"How much for the lizardman?"

"What do you think about 2 gold?"

Naofumi shook his head. "That's more than I'm willing to pay. 1 gold, or no deal."

"Hmm, I suppose that one may not be the right fit then. 1 gold is lower than I'm willing to sell him for."

"Then what about this one?" the hero asked, pointing toward the raccoon girl. She looked to be about 10 years old with dirty, tangled brown hair. Her eyes locked onto him when she was mentioned, and she cowered under his gaze.

"She suffers from night terrors, so she's been brought back a few times." The sickening grin on the trader's face made Naofumi want to punch him, but he held himself back.

"She'll do anything I want, right?" he asked, wanting confirmation. The short man nodded enthusiastically.

"But of course! She doesn't have much of a choice, does she?" he laughed, but the hero did not join in his glee. Instead, he looked back at the raccoon girl and they locked eyes once more. She began coughing uncontrollably, and Naofumi hummed in thought.

'_Her face looks healthy enough. Shouldn't cause too much trouble if she's seen in public. Not that my reputation can get much worse, but I'd rather not give people another reason to hate me.'_ he thought, examining the young girl further. _'She looks like she's barely eaten, and her eyes...'_

Naofumi took a closer look at her eyes, which almost seemed to glow in the moonlight that shined through the tent's ceiling. They had a reddish color, almost pink in the darkness. They reminded him of _her_ hair. A dark thought crossed his mind, but he pushed it down.

'_I might be able to imagine having that bitch as my slave, but fear isn't what I need. I need someone who I can trust, and beating the hell out of some girl isn't going to get me that. It's probably not going to make me feel any better, either.'_

Making his decision, he turned to the slave trader. "How much for her?"

Without even needing to think, the trader held up three fingers with a smirk. "Thirty silver. That covers her and the cost of the slave crest."

Shaking his head, Naofumi refused. "You gave me your deal, and I'll give you mine. She looks like she's sick, so I'll need to buy medicine. She looks extremely malnourished, so I'll need to feed her for quite awhile for her to be in peak condition." He held up two fingers. "Twenty silvers for her, the crest, and some of the ink used in the ceremony."

Shaking his head, the slave trader replied. "Twenty eight silvers. The ink alone costs almost three silvers."

Naofumi didn't let up. "Twenty one silvers. A night at an inn is two silvers, not including food."

The owner frowned. "Twenty four silvers, and that's the lowest I'll go."

"Make it twenty three and you've got a deal. And possibly a return customer." Naofumi said, crossing his arms. The short man frowned, doing math in his head before smiling at the taller man.

"You've got balls. I like that. I expected you to be a much easier client, so I'm happy to hear that I was wrong. Maybe you'd be a good fit for this business too, no? Once you're done saving the world and all that garbage, that is." The trader scoffed as he finished, obviously not too concerned about the threat of the Waves in the slightest. "Very well. Twenty three silvers it is. I must say, you'd make one hell of a trader yourself."

"If I consider it, you'll be the one I talk to."

Minutes later, they found themselves in another room with a table and chairs, lit by a single lantern. The raccoon girl was huddled in the corner of the room, still shivering and coughing uncontrollably. The trader sat at the table with a small dish, some ink, and a knife. Curious, Naofumi sat down as well.

The ceremony turned out to be remarkably simple. Naofumi just had to prick his finger to put a little blood in the ink, and the trader would paint it onto the existing crest. The only problem came with removing the girl's clothing so the crest could be painted properly.

Gulping but understanding the reasoning behind it, Naofumi walked to the trader and the girl. He looked to her and saw her trying as hard as she could to hold on to her only piece of clothing, a long shirt that looked more like a rag than something worthy of being called 'clothes'. She shook her head, not wanting him to follow through with it, but staying silent in fear of retribution.

The two locked eyes once more, and Naofumi's gaze softened a bit before holding his hand out in a beckoning motion. Noticing that he wasn't going to touch her, but instead allowing her to take the piece of fabric off herself, she closed her eyes and lifted the brown cloth over her head.

The hero frowned. _ 'My god...she's even skinnier than I thought. Just what has this girl been through?'_ he thought to himself. Seeing his pained expression, the girl relaxed slightly in the knowledge that he didn't seem to enjoy what he was being forced to do.

Their silence was interrupted by the short man. "Perfect, now we just draw the slave crest and you'll be good to go. It's an intricate design, so it may take a few minutes." He dipped the brush into the ink and grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her toward him slightly while exposing her chest for him to work with.

He began drawing slowly, but the young raccoon girl winced and bit down a scream. A sizzling sound filled the air. Naofumi stepped forward in concern. "What's happening to her?"

"The ink and magic burns itself into the slave's skin, so it's a bit painful. You should be seeing her information in your status menu shortly."

Grunting, but saying nothing, he looked away for a minute to give the girl some semblance of privacy. Within a few minutes, the crest was completed and the child had halted her pained grunts and yelps.

The trader put the brush in the now-empty dish and began to walk back to the table. "It's finished. If it wasn't obvious by now, there's a strict 'no refunds' policy in this business."

Naofumi handed the girl back her single piece of clothing, which she took and put on hastily. She was hit by another fit of coughs and the hero looked at her sadly, but he left her to turn to the shorter man once more.

"Now, about that ink." The man grabbed an extra vial of the dark liquid and handed it to Naofumi. He took the vial from the trader's outstretched hand before letting it be absorbed into his Shield.

**Slave User Shield: conditions met**

**Slave User Shield: ability locked**

**Equip bonus: slave maturation adjustment (small)**

'_Maturation adjustment? What does that mean?'_ Naofumi wondered, hand on his chin in thought. _'Does it mean a slave will mature faster? That seems...vague. Oh well, I'll find out eventually.'_

Shaking his head clear of those thoughts, the hero waved his new slave over. "Come, we have work to do." He maintained a cold exterior, which frightened the girl.

After a moment's hesitation, she followed him out of the tent. They exited the den of slaves and continued walking without a word spoken between them. As they reached the inn and entered, her new master dropped a few coins on the innkeeper's desk.

"One room for the night. Fair warning, my companion may get a bit loud." he said. The innkeeper eyed him with confusion and disgust, but handed him the key regardless. Naofumi walked up the stairs with the girl right behind him.

After they reached the room, he opened the door and motioned for her to enter first. His act of chivalry was unexpected, and the girl was nervous that his good attitude would vanish the moment they were alone. He entered and shut the door behind him.

"Here."

She was surprised once more as he dug through his pack and removed a pair of pants and a shirt. "U-um..." she mumbled, unsure of his intentions. She looked at the clothing and back to her dark-haired master with cautious eyes.

He shook the clothes, re-offering them to her. "Just take it. You're probably freezing."

Although she was still afraid of him and his scary eyes, she had to admit that the man was right. The rag she was wearing hardly provided any warmth at all. With a bit of trepidation, she took the clothing.

The man turned his back to her, and she realized he was giving her privacy once again. She said nothing, but silently appreciated the gesture. _'Maybe he isn't so bad after all...'_ she thought as she stripped and put her new wardrobe on. The sleeves nearly dragged on the ground from how much larger they were than her size, but they were clean.

And warm. _So warm._

Finally, she found the courage to speak. "T-thank you...Master." she said timidly. He slowly turned his head in her direction to make sure the coast was clear. Then, he turned fully toward her with a neutral expression.

"What's your name?" he asked.

She tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion. He wanted to know her name? Why?

At her silence, Naofumi sighed. "Listen, I'm not going to call you 'girl' or 'slave'. I need to know what your name is."

"R-Raphtalia." Her voice was little more than a squeak, but Naofumi could hear it just fine in the quiet room.

He mirrored her head tilt, put his hand to his chin and examined her closely. "Raphtalia, huh?"

'_She's terrified of me.'_ he thought to himself with narrowed eyes. _'Not that I can blame her. She's probably gotten abused by her other masters before me, so she's just trying not to piss me off.'_

As she shivered under his intense stare, he closed his eyes and sighed. _'One of my power up methods involves me trusting people, and being trusted in return. If I treat her well, I'm sure she'll trust me. If she doesn't, she'll end up dying from the slave curse I put on her.'_

The shield hero extended his hand for a shake. "My name is Naofumi Iwatani. It's...nice to meet you, Raphtalia."

She looked between his face and his outstretched hand with confusion. Sensing that she would be punished if she didn't do as he expected, she hesitantly reached her hand out and lightly shook his own. Her hand was swallowed by his larger one.

Suddenly, her stomach growled and she blushed. "Are you hungry?" he asked. She shook her head.

"N-no! I'm fine."

Her stomach rumbled loudly once again, and she looked to the floor with her ears flat against her head in embarrassment. Naofumi hummed in thought before looking through his inventory. He turned around and she heard a light sound of wind before he turned back to face her.

In his hands was a full meal consisting of what appeared to be potatoes, a slab of cooked meat, and a flaky-looking ball that had a small flag sticking out. Her mouth watered, but she also questioned where it came from.

Had he just pulled food out of thin air!? Was her new master some kind of god!?

Naofumi set the plate of food on a nearby table, pulling the chair out. "Go ahead." he said, motioning for her to take a seat.

"I-is it okay for me to eat it?" she asked nervously.

Still a bit suspicious, Raphtalia looked at him once again for confirmation. Naofumi rolled his eyes. "Just eat the damn food. You look like you haven't eaten much in days." he said, sitting down on the bed and watching her closely.

He was right, of course. Her previous master had given her the bare necessities for survival. On top of that, the meals he provided were little more than scraps of bread and water. Sometimes, she would go days without eating anything of substance.

She immediately dug in with her hands, eating whatever she could as if it would disappear any moment. She barely had time to enjoy the flavor before her weak body demanded more sustenance, and so she continued shoveling as much as she could into her mouth.

Raphtalia was eating so fast, however, that some food got lodged in her throat. She stopped to beat at her chest to clear the blockage, but was unsuccessful. Suddenly, a glass of water was set down in front of her. She would have questioned where this came from as well, but her mind had only one priority.

'_This...this is so good! I haven't had food this delicious in weeks! Just who is this man, and why is he being so nice to me?'_ she thought, eating a bit more slowly now. In the meantime, she could see him staring at her out of the corner of her eyes.

"Is it good?" he asked. Baffled by the mystery of a master she now had, but beyond thankful for the clothing and the meal, she nodded with some food still in her mouth.

"Mhm!" After she had finished the last bites of her meal, she sat back in her chair and rubbed her stomach contentedly.

He let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. "Good. I kept it stored from the inn's kitchen for a while, so I wasn't sure if it would still be fresh."

She was taken aback at his concern. Not only had he given her a meal, but he was concerned about whether it was fresh?

'_I know I heard that trader call him a hero, but just what kind of hero is he?'_ she thought. Only now that her basic needs were met did she get a chance to think about her new situation.

'_He obviously cares enough to keep me alive, and he sounds like he's genuine. But...he looks so scary. His eyes look so cold...'_

She continued to sneak peeks at him from her spot on the table. He was once again looking at something with intense interest, and she figured he was seeing something in his status menu.

Her thoughts were interrupted as he spoke. "Let's get some rest. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow, and I don't need you passing out on me." he said, standing up from the bed. A bedroll appeared in his hands, much to Raphtalia's shock.

"H-how...?" she asked silently. As he turned to face her, she flinched.

"What is it?"

"H-how...are you doing that? What kind of magic is that?"

Naofumi regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "You mean you can't do this? I can store things in my inventory and bring them out whenever I need to. Watch." He flipped through his menu and pulled out a bunch of herbs, and the girl's eyes widened before shaking her head.

"No...I-I can't do anything like that..."

"Huh. Guess you learn something every day."

"Um, Master?"

Naofumi turned to see the girl looking at him fearfully. "What?"

"Who...are you?" she asked, clenching her oversized clothing tightly to herself.

He rolled his eyes. "A hero, apparently. The shield hero that everyone hates." He unfurled the bedroll in the corner of the room before laying down on it and turning away from her. "Take the bed. You need it more than I do."

Raphtalia's eyes widened. _'He's...the shield hero!? The one mama and papa always talked about!? The one from the stories!?'_ she thought frantically.

Her new master was the shield hero who was supposedly kind to demi-humans? He was definitely nicer than her last master, but that wasn't hard to do. And he was offering her the bed to sleep on rather than forcing her to sleep outside, or in the corner?

Raphtalia decided that she shouldn't take her master's generosity for granted. Crawling into the bed, she sank into the soft sheets. It had been some time since she had slept in a real bed and not a stale mattress in a dungeon or the grass below her cage.

Maybe her life was starting a new chapter, with a new master and new opportunities. Only time would tell.


	4. Chapter 5 (rewritten)

**You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?**

**Aaaaaaaaaaand this one is rewritten. Hope you guys like it! As always, feel free to review the changes if you like!**

Morning came all too soon. The sun was still breaking over the rooftops and the chirping of birds filled the air. Naofumi almost wanted to go back to sleep, but he forced his eyes to stay open.

'_Can't afford to sit around. I have to deal with the kid.'_ he thought as he looked over at her. She was wrapped in the bedsheets like a cocoon, breathing deeply in her sleep. He fought the urge to smile at the sight._ 'I just hope she's ready for what we have to deal with. If she can't help me fight, I'll have no reason to keep her around.'_

Sitting up from his makeshift bed on the floor, Naofumi cracked his neck to loosen the stiff muscles. _'Okay. First order of business is to get Raphtalia some new clothes. Then, we get her a haircut.'_ He sniffed once and scowled a bit. _'And a bath.'_

The girl rolled over before bursting into a fit of coughs that woke her from her slumber. Naofumi frowned. _'We also need to get that cough checked out. It would be bad if this is something serious.'_

Raphtalia looked at him with curious eyes as he stood and stretched his back. "Master...you didn't need to sleep on the floor."

Naofumi shook his head. "I chose to, don't worry about me. Worry about yourself." he said, letting out a small moan as his back gave a satisfying pop.

"I-I don't want you to be, um, inconvenienced by me." she said.

"As long as you put in the effort, you'll never be an inconvenience. Now get up, we have errands to run." Almost as if reading her mind, he continued, "And when I say _we_, I mean both of us."

"But first, we need to get you back to a hundred percent. Come on, let's get moving."

As they packed up and left the inn, Raphtalia fell into step beside her master. "Um..." she started, cautiously.

"What?"

"I-I, um..." she stuttered.

"Speak up. I can't answer your question if you keep mumbling."

"Um, What kind of errands did you have in mind?" she asked. He responded by holding up four fingers.

"First, we need to get you some clothes that fit. That rag you had can't even be used to clean up spilled water, and my clothes are big enough to fit two of you in them. While we're at it, we need to get you cleaned up. How long has it been since you had a nice bath?" he asked her.

"I...don't remember." she mumbled.

"Well there has to be a bathhouse somewhere in town. Also, a haircut may be a good idea too." She blushed as he essentially criticized her appearance, but his lack of judgment about it eased her mind.

Something about a bath and a haircut reminded her of how her life used to be. It made her feel..._normal_. Suddenly, her stomach made itself known. The raccoon's blush darkened as she cursed her traitorous belly.

"Don't worry, we're getting food too."

Raphtalia silently thanked her stomach for bringing up her hunger. If she got to eat whenever she was hungry, then her situation had undoubtedly changed for the better.

They ended up buying breakfast at a nearby restaurant. There was nothing inherently special about it, but Naofumi made sure to buy his slave a meal for children. She needed nutrition in order to stay healthy, and she needed to stay healthy to be useful.

To Raphtalia, she was just happy to be free of her hunger pangs for the time being.

They were an unusual pair, to be sure. Naofumi received scathing glares as they walked down the street together, and those only worsened when they saw Raphtalia behind him. After a few agonizing minutes of walking, they appeared at what appeared to be a tailor's shop.

Naofumi walked inside with Raphtalia right behind him. A small bell joined the overly excited "welcome!" that came from the shop's owner. The girl admired all of the beautiful gowns and miscellaneous clothing options on display.

There were a few...unusual items on display in the corner, but she ignored them.

"We're looking for something that fits her size." Naofumi said, jabbing a thumb toward Raphtalia. The tailor ran from behind the counter and immediately began taking her measurements with surprising haste. The girl squeaked whenever the tailor accidentally touched her body.

"Alright, I'll have something ready to go in a few minutes. Feel free to look around and I'll be right with you! I'll have the cutest outfit for her in no time!" The woman's eyes actually _sparkled_ with excitement.

'_This lady loves her job too much, is crazy, or both. Or maybe she's just a lolicon.' _Naofumi thought, sweatdropping.

Naofumi took the time to search through the men's section. There were shirts, pants, and jackets of all shapes and sizes. After only a minute of searching, he turned to his slave.

"Raphtalia."

"Y-yes?" she squeaked.

"Come here for a second. I need your help."

The raccoon nervously bounded over to him. Her master needed _her_ help? But he was the god who could make food appear out of nowhere!

"I don't know what would look good on me."

The girl's eyes lit up slightly, but she pushed the excitement down. "Y-You want me to choose!?" she asked, nervously. She was going to pick out a hero's outfit!? Talk about a stressful first day!

"You're a girl. I figured you'd have a better sense for this than I do."

"O-okay then..."

In the end, they decided on several sets of black shirts with a variety of colored pants. Moments later, the tailor emerged from the back of the shop with a small dress in hand.

"All done! I made sure it would fit her hair and eye color, and I think a little bit of red and brown were the perfect fit!" she exclaimed, showcasing the outfit as she held it up with a smile.

Naofumi put a hand on her shoulder. "Go on, try it on. It's yours, so I want it to be comfortable." He pointed toward what appeared to be a changing room of some kind. Raphtalia nervously grabbed the dress and quickly walked to the large closet.

"Alright Father, you want to explain how the hell she ended up like that?" The tailor fixed him with a harsh glare as soon as Raphtalia was out of earshot.

"I'm not her dad."

"Then what are you, her guardian?" 

Naofumi sighed. "Something like that. I'm taking care of her as of yesterday, so I had nothing to do with her condition."

The woman crossed her arms before adjusting her glasses. "Well then. I won't ask for details, but you'd better keep her safe, you hear? I don't care if she's a demi-human or not, no child that cute deserves to walk around looking like that."

"Don't worry. Today is all about her."

"Good."

"Speaking of which, do you know if there's a bathhouse nearby where we could wash up? A haircut would be nice as well, since I have no idea how to do it."

"I sure do! Miss Milty's place is one of the best ones in the capital, and she's not too far from here. Just take a left out of my shop and go straight until you see steam coming from their roof. It'll be on your right."

A minute or so later, the girl emerged now wearing her new wardrobe. She was blushing in nervousness. In her hands was her master's neatly folded clothing. He took them from her and examined her new appearance.

'_It actually looks...really good. It's a little big, but she'll grow into it eventually.'_ he thought to himself. '_But how did she make something like this so quickly?'_

An exuberant voice from beside him interrupted his thoughts. "Oh my goodness you are just the CUTEST! Every girl in town is going to be jealous of you!" The hero spared a sideways glance at the tailor beside him. How she went from happy to serious and back at a moment's notice was not only creepy, but it put him on edge.

Seeing that the girl was still standing there, Naofumi assumed she was still waiting on his opinion. "It looks good on you. Is it comfortable?" she nodded slowly.

Her master continued. "Great. I'll buy this one along with the rest of these clothes. Could you create a few more versions of that for her? I doubt a single battle dress will last forever, no matter how durable the materials."

The tailor pouted, mumbling something about how 'she'll show him durable materials using her fist', before smiling. "Of course, and because she's officially my new cutest customer, I'll give you a discount. 100 silvers for everything today, and it'll just be 50 silvers for the extra dresses in a few days."

As they walked out the door, the two were now outfitted with the latest in Melromarc fashion trends. The tailor's directions were...painfully accurate. As they got closer, Naofumi was able to spot a massive plume of steam rising from one specific building.

The pair was surprised. As soon as they entered the bathhouse, they were swarmed by women young and old who examined them from head to toe. After a few moments, a large woman who seemed to be in charge stepped up and spoke.

"You two look like you need something. What can I do for you honey?" she said, her tone a much deeper baritone than either of them were expecting. Naofumi swallowed his manly pride and responded, wishing he could have someone else do the talking for him.

"We need haircuts and a bath." he said, nervously. The women who crowded around them leaned closer.

Finally, one of them spoke. "You don't look like you need much, maybe just a trim. She may need a bit more work." The woman turned to the bathhouse keeper, who nodded.

"My name is Miltania, but most people call me Miss Milty. We'll get you both cleaned up and as gorgeous as ever in no time."

Naofumi was still on edge. The slave trader had mentioned how badly demi-humans were treated in Melromarc, and he worried that they would face some of that discrimination today. They had gotten lucky with the tailor, but there was no guarantee that these women would be the same way.

"Good. And can you show me how you cut her hair? I want to be able to do it myself if I have to." The hero was nervous asking that type of question. It made him feel strange.

"Of course!" the woman said with a smile. "And would you like the family bath to be with your daughter, or separate?"

"I'm not her father." Naofumi grumbled. _'Seriously, we look absolutely nothing alike! Why does everyone think I'm her dad!?'_

"Oh, well you'll be a wonderful father one day. I'm sure of it. Right this way, and we'll get you cleaned up."

About two hours later, the duo emerged from the bathhouse with calmed expressions, cleaned up heads, and a purse that was 40 silver lighter.

"That was a little different than what I'm used to back in Japan, but they did a good job." Naofumi said as they walked in a different direction.

Raphtalia looked at him curiously. _'What's a Japan? Is it some kind of cooking utensil?'_ Keeping her questions to herself, she continued following him. However, she felt refreshed.

Her hair was now properly trimmed, and Miss Milty had been generous enough to show her master how to keep her hair well groomed for no additional cost. Although he was nervous at first, he paid close attention to every detail the woman mentioned. The moment she had gotten a look at herself in the mirror, she had nearly broken down into tears.

It had been the first time in what felt like forever that she didn't _look_ like a slave, but rather like a regular girl. She had been so happy that she had to wipe away tears.

While Naofumi was cleaning up scraps of her hair, some of it got absorbed into his shield by accident. This unlocked the **Slave User Shield II**, somehow. It gave similar bonuses to the **Slave User Shield**, but rather than a maturation adjustment (small) it gave a status adjustment (small).

He still wasn't sure exactly what the maturation adjustment did, but the status adjustment was a little more obvious. Raphtalia's stats all increased by a small percentage. If there were more levels to the **Slave User Series**, Naofumi wanted to unlock them as soon as possible. If he could get larger bonuses for Raphtalia, she would undoubtedly become much more powerful.

"Alright, now for the hard part." Naofumi said, cryptically. Raphtalia began to get a bit nervous as they left the safety of the city walls. She followed him to the meadow, and the sun was just past its apex.

"Here." he said, handing her a sheathed dagger from behind his back. The girl looked at the weapon with confusion. "Take it. You'll need it."

"W-why?..." she asked hesitantly.

"Because you're going to fight."

"Wh-what!?"

Naofumi turned fully toward her and fixed her with a serious gaze. "I'm not going to lie to you, Raphtalia. I bought you because I need people I can trust to fight the waves alongside me."

"Waves?...You mean..." she trailed off, looking at the dagger with fear.

"Yeah. I know it's scary, but I can't do it alone. I need you to help me."

Raphtalia's mind swam with memories and nightmares alike. Memories of her village. Memories of her friends and family being attacked by monsters.

Memories of her parents sacrificing themselves to save her.

"-talia. Raphtalia!"

"Huh!?"

The girl was shaken from her thoughts as her master shouted her name. She realized that she had broken out into a cold sweat, and her body was shaking.

Naofumi looked at her with pity. _'I don't know what that was, but it can't be good. Is this the mental disorder the trader was talking about?'_ he wondered. _'I can't afford to be too soft on her, though. If she doesn't realize how serious the situation is, she won't be prepared if it gets dangerous.'_

"Are you alright?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I...think so." she mumbled, unsure of herself. The man sighed before unsheathing the dagger for her. The sunlight bounced off the blade, showing the girl her terrified reflection.

"Good. We're going to practice a bit."

"Practice?"

Naofumi walked through the tall grass for a moment before he was assaulted by balloons. Raphtalia stumbled and fell on her backside as they swarmed around him.

"M-master!" she cried out in panic.

"Relax. These things can't hurt me." he responded. The balloons latched their jaws onto his arms and legs, gnawing at them with rage in their eyes. Naofumi grabbed one off of his leg and held it up for her to see. "I can barely feel them, actually. Perks of being the shield hero, I guess."

The raccoon stood on shaky legs, watching her master slowly be enveloped in orange balloons. He gripped the balloon and held it in front of him. "Now, I need you to stab this balloon with that dagger."

"Wh-why!?" she cried, eyes wide with fear.

"I said it before. I have to save this world from the waves so I can go home. I obviously can't do that by myself, so that's why I bought you. Unless you'd like to go back into the cage?" he asked.

"No! Don't send me back!" she screamed, clutching at her chest. "Anything but there, please!"

"Then I need you to stab this thing."

She gripped the blade tightly, but found that her legs wouldn't move. "I...I can't!"

"You have to, or I'll have to give you back!"

"No! I can't!"

"Raphtalia, I _order_ you to stab this balloon!" he yelled in frustration. The purple crest on her chest activated, sending electric shocks through her body. The raccoon cried out in pain, but refused to move. "If you don't do as I say, then you're useless to me! I don't want to take you back, but if you can't fight, I can't keep you around!"

She grit her teeth, steeled her nerves and charged forward with a cry. "Haaaaaaaa!" The girl thrusted her dagger toward the balloon, but the monster caught it with its teeth. It shook violently, flinging the girl back.

"Again!" Naofumi shouted. This time, Raphtalia's strike landed. The balloon was defeated with a satisfying _*pop*_, and they both gained experience. The raccoon panted heavily as she held the dagger in a vice grip.

Even as the horde of balloons continued chewing on him, Naofumi walked up and patted her on the head between her ears. She gazed up at him in confusion.

"That was good. I knew you could do it." he said with a soft smile. "I'm sorry for using the slave crest. I really didn't want to, but this is only the beginning. I'm not kidding when I say you'll need to fight a lot more than this."

"P-please, just...don't send me back. Don't abandon me." Raphtalia broke down into tears, and the man knelt down before hugging her lightly. She trembled, grasping at his cloak like a lifeline.

"I won't. As long as you stick with me and help me fight, I'll never take you back to that creep."

The two spent the next few hours fighting balloons. Naofumi wanted to go to a slightly higher level area to get better experience, but he worried that he wouldn't be able to protect Raphtalia if he did. Until she was more comfortable with fighting, and a little more experienced with dodging the few strikes that got past him, they would stick to balloons.

He hadn't used his sword the entire time, opting to let Raphtalia do the killing while he protected her. Although he wanted to put his developing skills to the test, he felt it much more important to have the girl get comfortable first.

"Alright, let's head back for today. There's someone I want you to meet." Naofumi said, handing a fruit to Raphtalia. She sniffed it a few times before biting into it. She visibly relaxed as the food reinvigorated her body. "He's a little scary to look at, but he's one of the only people I really trust." the man added.

Raphtalia was exhausted. They had done so much in a single day that she was exhausted. Being out in public was terrifying, knowing that her kind was less than welcome. However, having a master with a scary face to ward off any attackers had its advantages.

She would never admit that to him, though.

Arriving at an all-too-familiar weapon shop, they were greeted by a hulking bull of a man who stood half a head taller than her master, and was almost twice her own height. Her first impression was fear as he looked at her with narrowed eyes. After a few moments her fear turned into relief as he smiled and called out to the hero.

"Yo! I see you've made a new friend, a cute one at that. Look at you go, kiddo!" he jeered before pretending to cry. "It felt like only yesterday I was teaching you how to make friends. Where did all the time go?"

Naofumi rolled his eyes. "That's because it _was_ yesterday, old man. Or have you started going senile on me?"

Raphtalia looked between the two men with a mix of curiosity and nervousness. The bald man laughed and lightly punched her master's shoulder.

"It's good to see you, kid. You miss me?" His response was an audible scoff.

"Ha. As if anyone would miss you after a single day. I'm here to pay back that favor of yours."

"Oh you're here to make me richer, eh? What type of armor are you two looking for?" he asked, pointing a thumb in the raccoon's direction. Her ears twitched as she was brought into the center of attention and she looked to her feet nervously.

"For now she needs something light that won't hinder her movement. But make sure it protects her vital areas. As she gets a bit more experienced we may move into something a bit more expansive." he said, looking to the girl for confirmation. She merely nodded, obviously unfamiliar with the ins and outs of combat.

"Hmm. I don't think I have anything her size here in the shop, but I could probably throw together a quick breastplate and some vambraces to protect her hands. Sound good?" Elhart asked. He received a nod in response.

"And how about yourself? I figure you'll have some things in particular you want in your own armor?" he continued. Naofumi gave another nod and a light grunt.

"You're the expert blacksmith here, so I'll trust your judgment on how to actually make it. Just make sure it works and doesn't slow me down." the hero said, crossing his arms before looking down at his slave. "Raphtalia, take a look around and see if you can find a weapon you like. That dagger isn't going to help much against anything more than the _ferocious balloons_ you killed earlier." he smirked, and she pouted at him.

So she was afraid of fighting! What person isn't!?

"Fine, _Master_." she said in a too-sweet voice, enjoying the way he flinched when she made it known that she was a slave. She noticed the blacksmith give the man a piercing glare, and it almost made her giggle. Her master was scary, but this man seemed to have him under control

'_Maybe I could use that to my advantage...' _she thought, a smirk making its way on her face as she turned to look at the small swords on a table.

Giving the younger man a sharp look, Elhart motioned behind him with his head toward the back of the shop. Once they reached the back, he shut the door connecting the two sides of the building.

"Tell me everything. _Now_." he said, his face still as stone. Without hesitation the hero responded.

"You told me to find someone I can trust. A slave trader found me last night and showed me around, and she was there." he said, looking the bigger man right in the eyes.

"I know you have a bad reputation, but a _slave_?" Elhart crossed his arms. "Do you really think so lowly of the people here, kid?"

"If you can find me someone who isn't going to stab me in the back, then be my guest."

The blacksmith sighed. "Fine. At first I couldn't tell if she was a slave, so at least you're treating her right." He fixed Naofumi with the fiercest glare he could muster, jabbing a finger into the man's chest. "But If I hear even the slightest thing from that girl about you being anything less than the perfect master, _I will find you._"

"You know as well as I do that it's not going to be easy."

Elhart withdrew his finger and placed a comforting hand on the Hero's shoulder. "Just keep your eyes on her and she'll be just fine. You're the shield hero for God's sake, if anyone can keep her safe, it'll be you." he reassured the man.

As Naofumi turned to walk back into the main area of the shop, he was stopped by the grip on his shoulder tightening. "Another thing, kid. You're new to this world so you probably don't know, but demi-humans are a bit...unique."

"You mean the tail and ears? That's not the weirdest thing I've seen."

"That's not what I meant. Demi-humans that gain experience while they're children grow up much, _much_ faster than humans do. I've heard stories of kids becoming full adults within weeks."

That thought did not ease the tension in Naofumi's mind. _'You mean if she gets stronger, she's going to grow up? Won't that rob her of her childhood?'_ he thought to himself, brow furrowed as he concentrated.

"...You're serious?"

"Completely. Quick question, though. You wouldn't happen to be a father, would you kid?"

"Do I _look_ like someone who has kids of my own?"

Elhart shrugged. "Hey look, I don't judge. I'm just saying that kids get pretty crazy when they grow up. You may want to find a demi-human woman who can answer all the hard questions, but you probably won't find any of those here in Melromarc. Siltvelt would be your best bet for that."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "Why there specifically?"

"In case you don't know, Melromarc worships the Three Heroes Church." Elhart said. "Notice something odd about that?"

"There are four of us..."

"Exactly. Because of a bunch of wars that happened over a decade ago, Melromarc's primary religion opposes the shield hero. Siltvelt is the opposite in almost every way. The citizens are almost entirely demi-humans and they worship the shield hero."

"That's...concerning." Naofumi noted, humming in thought. _'Why would they summon me here if they hate me? Something about that just doesn't make any sense, unless...'_

Realization dawned on him as the pieces fit together in his mind. "They set me up from the start..."

"What do you mean?"

The hero slammed his fist onto a table in anger. "Those bastards set me up from the beginning! Why would they bother to summon me here if they hate me? And after that, they make me public enemy number one by accusing me of a crime I didn't commit. _Then_ their church sisters almost got me killed! The only thing I can think is that they wanted to screw me over the whole time!"

Elhart let out a weak sigh. "I don't know if that's completely true, but I guess I can't exactly give any other explanation." He leaned in closely to whisper. "Maybe getting out of this place is your safest bet. Don't get me wrong. I'll get your business one way or another, but I don't need to watch you suffer like this."

Naofumi trembled in rage for a few moments before relaxing. "Getting pissed about it now won't help, but I'll keep that idea in mind."

Ruffling the younger man's hair and slightly wishing he still had some himself, Elhart chuckled. "You've been through a lot in only a few days, but you're taking steps forward. Keep the girl close and train her well. For what it's worth, I believe in you, kid."

Leaving it at that, the two men walked back into the storefront, where Raphtalia was holding a short sword and staring at her reflection in wonder. Chuckling slightly, Elhart walked over and knelt down beside her so they were eye to eye.

"You like that one? It's one of my personal favorites, and it looks like it suits you." he said. She looked at the large man for a moment before smiling a bit and nodding.

"Y-yes. For a sword, it's very pretty."

He chuckled again. "I remember putting a lot of work into the hilt and grip on this one. It should last you quite a while since it has a blood clean coat." His calm voice and earnest smile helped calm the nerves of the girl in front of him.

"Blood clean?" Naofumi asked, crossing his arms.

"It's a special process that can be done while the sword is forged. Basically, it keeps the blade from rusting or going bad from the bloodstains."

"Perfect. That sounds exactly like what we need." the hero said with a smile. "Raphtalia, does that one feel more comfortable than the dagger from before?"

She carefully swung it around a few times. "It's, um...a little heavier."

The blacksmith chuckled and walked back behind his counter. "Within a few levels, you'll be strong enough to use it like any other weapon."

Naofumi decided to speak up. "Alright old man. We'll take that sword, and when you get the armor finished for us, we'll come back and pick it up. Do you want me to pay up front, or when it's finished?" he asked, reaching into his cloak for his coin purse.

Elhart stood and held up his hand in a 'wait' motion. "Hold it kid. Let's get her used to holding this sword first. It wouldn't do to have her walking into real combat without any sort of experience." The hero agreed and watched as the old man continued.

"Do you mind if I help you with the basics? I may have to touch you to adjust your arms or legs a bit to make sure you've got it right." His voice was soft and caring, like a father. It seemed to help as Raphtalia relaxed and nodded silently.

"Good. Now let's start with how to hold it..." he said, beginning the training.

After about half an hour, Elhart had taught her the basics of both stances and swings.

"There. Now show me what you've learned, but be careful not to hit anything in the shop." he said, stepping back and crossing his arms.

The girl stood with her feet shoulder-width apart with her left foot forward. Her sword was held in both of her hands at waist height with the blade angled diagonally forward. After a few deep breaths, she pushed off of her back foot and swung horizontally across her body. Without missing a beat, she twisted the blade before slicing diagonally upward across her body once more. She finished her blade dance with a quick thrust.

Naofumi watched the show with admiration. _'She picked that up even faster than I did; that was extremely impressive._.' he thought to himself.

The sound of the raccoon's heavy breathing was joined with clapping from both men. Raphtalia was slightly exhausted from the training, but blushed at the attention.

"That was great, little lady! You're already better than your master here! You should have seen how sloppy he was yesterday when he went through the same training!" he said, smirking.

Naofumi grumbled and looked away with a pout on his face. Raphtalia, unable to control herself, giggled before bursting into laughter. It echoed through the store, boisterous and carefree. Both men looked at her joyous expression before Elhart joined her. Naofumi's facade cracked and he managed a soft smile.

'_So this is a little bit of her true self, huh?'_ he wondered.

Eventually controlling her laughter, the raccoon sheathed the sword and smiled. _'Mama...Papa...I think I finally know what you meant when you talked about the shield hero.'_

The laughter stopped as the girl broke out into a fit of coughs once more. She had held it together fairly well throughout the morning, but now it was starting to come back with a vengeance. Concerned, Elhart put the back of his bare hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

"She's got a nasty fever, kid. You may want to go see the apothecary a few blocks down the main road." he said, standing up straight again. "He may have some medicine for her, but I myself don't know much about the stuff. I work with metal, not pretty little plants and bottles."

Naofumi nodded, and the blacksmith continued. "Now about paying for everything. How about 60 silver for that sword, and you'll worry about paying for everything else when it's done? You may owe me, but I'd rather have something that's perfect for you and will last a while."

Agreeing with the idea, Naofumi grabbed the coins from his wallet and handed them to the older man. After counting them and smiling, Elhart shooed them out of the shop with a wave of his hand.

Naofumi and Raphtalia made their way to the apothecary, where they learned that the medicine required a specific kind of flowered herb. After pulling one of the herbs he had gathered from his inventory, the hero was pleased to find that this happened to be the exact herb needed for it.

'_If only I'd known this earlier, I could have been making medicine ahead of time.'_ he thought offhandedly. They left the shop with the medicine as well as a few tips on how to create more. They stopped a short distance down the street when Naofumi held the bottle of medicine out toward the young girl.

"Here, drink this. If it tastes anything like how it smells, it'll probably be awful. But at least it should help with that cough."

Agreeing but still not wanting to subject herself to this type of torture, Raphtalia opened the bottle and took a whiff of its contents. She scowled and waved her hand in front of her nose to diffuse the stench.

"Ugh!"

"Just drink it. That stuff isn't cheap, and I can't have you being sick." he retorted with a firm glare. After a few more moments, she sipped the medicine and gagged, eyes bulging as her first reaction was to spit it out. However, she forced it down.

"Blegh! It's so bitter!"

"Don't tell me I didn't warn you, but you need to finish that. It'll be better than getting even more sick." Naofumi said, crossing his arms. He sympathized with the raccoon. He had gotten horribly sick once or twice in his lifetime, and the medicine they gave him to help was a nightmare at best. It usually tasted like a combination of overly flavored pomegranate juice with an aftertaste of sand. It wasn't exactly his beverage of choice.

Finally finished with their errands, it was nearing the middle of the afternoon as the sun began its descent. Naofumi brought Raphtalia into a restaurant for a hearty dinner despite the sign saying that they didn't serve demi-humans.

He honestly didn't care about their rules. If they had a problem with one of the heroes getting food, he'd be sure to let the place burn if the city was ever attacked.

As they sat down and ordered, Naofumi fixed the girl with a serious look. "Alright, let's clear a few things up really quick. We're going to be working together from now on, so there's a few rules you need to follow. Are you listening?"

"Y-yes."

"First, _do not under ANY circumstance_ put yourself in unnecessary danger." Her head shot up in surprise, but she was given very little time to think before he continued.

"Second, both in town and in combat, _we are equals._ Just because I'm your master doesn't mean my life is worth any more than yours." Her jaw dropped..

"Finally, we're going to be fighting increasingly difficult monsters. We _need_ to cover each other's backs out there. Neither of us is some master swordsman, so we're going to be learning a lot together. You cover me, and I'll cover you. If we _both_ follow those three rules, we'll always make it out alive. Can you promise me you'll do that?" He was staring intently at her now, face still serious.

Raphtalia couldn't find any words to say. _'He...he actually cares? He's not going to abandon me!'_ she thought, shellshocked.

Moments turned into seconds as Naofumi stared at the girl who looked like she was seeing a mystical being. Then she did something he could never have expected.

She ran around the table and hugged him.

It wasn't a light hug either; it was a leaping, bone-crushing hug that must have taken every ounce of strength the girl had in her body.

"_Thank you."_

He gave a soft smile as he returned the embrace. He wasn't really used to this kind of contact. His parents weren't very affectionate, and he had never had a girlfriend before. The hug wasn't what he would consider romantic, but he couldn't help but smile.

They ate their meal in a pleasant silence. Even though he couldn't taste the meal, Naofumi wasn't as upset as he usually was. Somewhere, deep down he could feel the wall around his heart breaking down.

After returning to the fields for a late night training session, they encountered their next hurdle. A rabbit-like monster called an usapil attacked them in the middle of their training. It had extremely sharp teeth and a ferocious look in its eyes.

Seeing that it was a living, breathing creature and not just a balloon, Raphtalia's eyes widened and she hesitated as it jumped in her direction.

Naofumi rushed in front of her and blocked the leaping rabbit. Although it packed a stronger punch than the balloons did, it still wasn't enough to concern him. He repelled the attack and sent the monster flying backwards several meters. As he went to draw his sword, he noticed that his partner was still frozen in fear.

"Raphtalia! Help me fight this thing, we can do it together!" he yelled, keeping his attention solely on his opponent. Meanwhile, Raphtalia was lost in memories and nightmares.

Her village...Her friends..._Her family_...

All of them were dead. Blood was everywhere. It reeked of iron and flesh and rot. The fear was so strong she could almost smell it.

She was forced to recall the horrors she witnessed and experienced in the past few weeks. The beatings, the blood, the bruises and lashings. The horrible mistreatment of other slaves by her masters, who each grinned in satisfaction as their subjects suffered meaninglessly. As she continued to be haunted by her memories, a lone voice called out to her.

"Snap out of it Raphtalia! I _order you_ to help me fight!" His words triggered the slave crest's power, and the familiar pain of disobedience surged through her body.

Seeing that his enemy was once again readying an attack, Naofumi prepared a counter of his own. Holding his sword behind him and his shield in front of him, he bent his knees in preparation to strike. The rabbit leaped at him once more and the shield hero went on the offensive.

He dodged its body at the last second, carving his sword through it with a roar. As he finished the motion, the usapil's body split in two and fell to the ground.

Unfortunately, his slice released a small shower of blood that covered the already fear-stricken girl behind him.

She screamed, dropping to her knees and clawing at her face with her hands. Naofumi rushed to her aid. "Raphtalia! Raphtalia! What's wrong!?" he shouted, hugging her close.

"M-mama...Papa...!" she mumbled to herself over and over.

"Come on, snap out of it! Everything is okay!"

She shook her head into his chest, still panicking. "B-blood..." she managed to whisper.

"Huh?"

"I-I don't like...blood..."

Naofumi's eyes lowered. _'So she's afraid of blood? That's not good. Most monsters bleed when you hurt them, and I can't expect her to face her fears head-on so quickly. She'll break if I'm not careful.'_ he thought, running a hand up and down her back soothingly.

The hero couldn't even celebrate as the message for gaining 50 experience points flashed in his vision. Instead, his attention was solely focused on his companion who looked like she was losing her grip on reality. As she sobbed into his chest, he whispered.

"Raphtalia? Raph, are you okay? Can you hear me?" he asked, but received no response other than her head raising to look at him. Her eyes were distant, as if they couldn't even see his face. "Come on, come back to me Raphtalia!" His shaking grew slightly stronger as he became more and more concerned about her.

"_We're both going to be alright. I promise." _

This seemed to shake her out of her memories and her eyes refocused on his face, which was much closer than she remembered it being. She also noted an all-too-familiar stench of blood, and that it was all over her upper body.

Now coming to terms with reality, and realizing that she had just had an episode in front of her master, she bit back another sob. Despite her blood soaked clothing, Naofumi continued hugging her tightly to his chest. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear and did what he thought was right for calming someone down.

Eventually, he spoke once again. "Are you all better now? It's going to be okay, the monster is gone."

She whimpered slightly, gripping the front of his cloak tightly. After several deep breaths, she looked directly into his eyes and nodded.

"Y-yes Master. I'm sorry I wasn't of any use to you." she said, eyes brimming with tears.

The Hero loosened his grip enough to wipe away the teardrops with his thumb. "Don't worry, I'm not mad. We'll both make it through this somehow." His reassuring tone was everything she needed, and she managed to calm her racing heart.

"It's okay to be afraid of blood, you know." She found no way of agreeing with him on that statement. Based on her prior experiences, blood only brought pain and heartbreak.

However, he continued on. "When the blood is ours or a loved one's, it hurts. It hurts a lot, and when it does it feels like you can't forget it." he said, his tone soft but neutral.

"However, when the blood is an enemy's, when the blood is from someone who would take your loved one away from you forever, it can mean that you saved the person you care about. Today, that blood is my way of showing that I protected you."

'_This is so not my style.'_ Naofumi sighed internally. _'But she looks like she needs this.'_

He tried to lighten the mood. "As symbolic and metaphorical as that was, I don't exactly want to cover you in blood every day. That would be disgusting." Despite her fear, she couldn't help but let out a small giggle at his antics.

'Leave it to Master Naofumi to make everything okay.' she thought. Wrapping her own arms around the larger man for a moment, she released him and stood up straight with a more confident look on her face.

"I'll fight for you, Master. Even though you have a weapon already, I'll be your sword. You were my shield today, but one day you might need a sword to fight for you."

Naofumi was stunned to say the least. This girl shifted from terrified to determined in an instant, and all it took were some words of encouragement.

He felt his inner walls crumbling even further. Somehow, this girl just brought the real him to the surface.

"I'll be counting on you. We'll be working together for a long time, so we may as well get to know each other a bit better." She flinched, worried that he would judge her for her past. However, he decided to open up first.

"The name of my home is Japan. Apparently, we heroes get summoned from other worlds to help fight the Waves."

Raphtalia was not only shocked by his optimism, but relieved that he didn't make her tell her past first. Her thoughts were interrupted as he continued speaking, seemingly oblivious to whether or not she was even listening.

"Japan was a much more advanced world than this, but we didn't have magic. We had technology that would put some things in this world to shame. We had metal carriages that drove themselves without creatures pulling them, we had metal birds that people could ride in and would fly over the entire world, and we even had metal tubes that launched people into outer space." he said, reminiscing on his old world.

Meanwhile, the raccoon listened in awe and confusion. _ 'Metal birds that people could ride inside of? And what is this outer space he's talking about?'_ Her head tilted to the side as she pondered his explanation.

As they walked back to the capital, the shield hero told her a few things about his homeworld. He mentioned how boats were made of metal, and most cities had a lot of buildings as tall as the castle tower.

The thing that shocked her most, was the fact that he never asked about her past. Surely he knew that most of it was unpleasant, and he was doing his best to dance around the topic to keep her calm. Although she spotted the attempt with little trouble, she appreciated his tact.

It wasn't something she was fully prepared to talk about. If she was being honest, she wasn't sure if she would ever be ready.

The two decided to retire to the inn room for the night. Naofumi had asked whether any of the inn's rooms had two beds, but unfortunately they were booked for the night. Even though he could afford a second room, he didn't trust the people in this city enough. Just the thought of one of them attacking her made him sick to his stomach.

He figured he could put up with sleeping on the floor for another night, anyway.

Walking into the inn's room, Naofumi set his pack on the ground in the corner and took out his bedroll. He laid it on the ground near the wall of the room and sat down. Cocking her head to the side in confusion, the girl's ears twitched before recognition settled in.

"M-Master, you don't need to sleep on the floor again tonight! I-I can always-" she began.

However, she was interrupted by a determined voice. "No. We're equals, remember? Just take the bed for tonight. I'll make sure to book a room with two beds next time." he said, finishing that argument.

Trying and failing to find a way to convince her master otherwise, Raphtalia sighed. Her ears and tail drooped as her thoughts went sour. "...You don't need to spoil me, Master. I appreciate it, I really do, it's just so much different than what I've been used to." she finally said, admitting the truth.

Naofumi was unsure how to react. On one hand he respected that she was brave enough to speak up about it, but on the other he refused to let her be inconvenienced by something like this.

Eventually he decided to compromise. "How about this. You get the bed tonight, but we get up bright and early in the morning for training." he said, reaching his hand out to the raccoon to shake.

Pouting, but deciding that arguing further was meaningless and would get them nowhere, Raphtalia sighed before reaching out and shaking the hero's hand. He spared her a soft smile, which she returned after a few moments.

The shield hero laid down on the floor, head hitting the pillow with an audible 'thump'. His partner decided to change into her nightgown that they had purchased at the tailor's shop. The exhaustion of a long day of work took their toll on her, and she soon found herself slipping into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, Naofumi pondered their first full day together. _'We got a lot done today, but we need to start training a lot harder if we want to survive. At least she's a bit more confident than she was yesterday. It'll take some time, but we made good progress on that as well.'_ he thought to himself, silently.

Thinking more about their situation as a whole, he reflected on all that had happened in less than two weeks. He had been dragged into a completely different world, branded a rapist, almost gotten killed, met a demon inside of his shield, and bought a raccoon slave.

It all seemed too surreal for him. It was like the start to an extremely edgy anime. He just hoped he didn't end up going insane from it all.

Naofumi eventually drifted off to sleep, but it wasn't very soothing. He was having one of those unusual, dreamless sleeps where you sort of just lay there and then wake up in the morning. That is, until he was jolted awake by the sound of screams.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Naofumi shot up and reached for his sword, eyes searching for trouble. He looked around the room before realizing it was his companion. Rushing to her side, he saw that her eyes were shut but tears streamed down her face.

She reached her arms out to an unseen person. "Mama! Papa! No!"

Naofumi's mind raced as he frantically tried to find some way to help the girl. His only thought was to try to calm her down any way he could. Opting for the only thing he could think of, he grabbed her and held her close to his chest in an embrace.

She wailed and her tears began to cover his clothes. Minutes earlier, the nightmares that plagued her mind continued to run rampant.

_She was running. Blood was everywhere once again as she ran for her life. Her parents were right there with her, but they both had bite marks and large gashes on their bodies. The village was completely ruined, ransacked by an unnaturally large group of monsters that appeared from nowhere. Fleeing from the village, the family reached a cliff's edge and peered over to see the ocean waves crashing against the cliffside._

_Hearing a deep growl, Raphtalia turned back the way she came and saw a massive three headed dog monster. Its teeth were covered in blood and entrails as it slowly approached. Her parents stood protectively in front of her, doing their best to calm their own nerves._

"_Raphtalia, please forgive our selfishness." her father said with a determined look. Her mother finished for him, "We want you to live."_

_All of a sudden, she felt her father push her stomach with a shocking amount of force. The wind was knocked out of her as she was flung over the cliffside. She couldn't even scream as her parents were devoured by the monster._

She had awoken with a blood curdling scream. "Mama! Papa! No!" she howled, tossing and turning. Her tears began wetting the pillow as she thrashed about before she shot up into a seated position as she reached out for the family she knew was no longer there.

Still trapped in her terrors, it took Raphtalia a few moments to recognize the feeling of arms surrounding her protectively. Although she wasn't coherent enough to know who it was, the feeling of it comforted her slightly as she cried.

Losing her family was the event that sparked the nightmare that was her life. From master to master she was abused, tortured, starved, and neglected.

Until now.

Her newest master had done so much for her in such a short time. From feeding her, to clothing her and even training her to become strong, she knew she could count on him. He never abused her, and only used the slave crest when absolutely necessary.

Naofumi continued to hold her until she had calmed down. After a few more minutes, he decided that she should try to get back to sleep and he removed his hold on her to go lay back down. However, his arm was grabbed and he turned to see the tear-stricken face of his partner.

"Master...please don't leave." she whispered as her body shook. Naofumi sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll be right over there." He patted her on the head before turning to go lie down on his makeshift bed once more, but the grip on his arm tightened and stopped him.

"N-no... I mean, please don't leave me tonight." she said, red-faced. Whether her face was red from crying or from embarrassment was uncertain to both of them. "I...like it when you hug me. It helps a lot."

Surprised and slightly embarrassed himself, Naofumi's mind grinded to a halt as he blushed. He quickly purged his mind of any such thoughts before sitting on the bed beside the girl, legs hanging off the side. After a few moments, Raphtalia pulled his arm a bit harder which forced him to lie down next to her on his back.

She snuggled into him, clutching his arm tightly as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Her tail wrapped around her leg, slightly touching his own. It was so soft that he almost wanted to touch it, but he figured it was sensitive.

Plus, she was trying to sleep. That would be weird.

Nearly half an hour later, Naofumi was still awake. Raphtalia's body was too warm, making it difficult for him to sleep. He groaned internally. _'I have enough trouble falling asleep as it is. I'll never get any sleep at this rate.'_

After some time, the girl shifted enough for him to turn away without waking her. The hero tried to force himself to sleep, but his concern for his partner kept him up almost the entire night.


	5. Chapter 6 (rewritten)

**What is better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort? - Paarthurnax, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeere's chapter 6 of my patented REEEEEEEEwritten story. It can be a little frustrating going over these first few chapters because the original version of it had **_**so many friggin**__**errors.**_** I'm SO much happier with this rewritten version of this chapter, and I'm excited to continue fixing the stuff I wrote over a year ago.**

**Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!**

"Master Naofumi, look! I did it!" a feminine voice said excitedly The hero turned to see Raphtalia holding a pair of giant porcupines by the legs. Their bodies were covered in dark red blood, and she herself had a few red streaks on her face.

"Good work! Let's call it a day for now and head back. We've been here all afternoon and it's getting dark." Naofumi responded. He was still shocked by how much the girl - now a woman - had changed in such a short time. Within weeks, she had gone from a sickly slave to what he assumed was a young woman in her teenage years.

Though she still acted like a child at times, her appearance and confident demeanor made her a valuable asset in and out of battle. Vendors would give out goods for free whenever she walked by simply because she was cute.

Naofumi wouldn't deny that she was, but he worried that this country was filled with lolicons. Besides, only a short time ago she was just a child. Just because she looked older didn't mean he would see her any other way.

Over time, the two had grown closer than before. A major point of development occurred while they were mining for ore to the west of Lute Village.

While there, they encountered a large two-headed dog monster. It was rabid and ferocious, attacking them relentlessly until they had managed to take it down. Raphtalia had been so terrified that she couldn't move, something that hadn't happened since her first faceoff with the usapil.

It was just like the monster that took her parents, and it paralyzed her in fear.

She remembered the words he had spoken that day. Even while he had one of the monster's heads clamped onto his shoulder and the other in his hands, he managed to give her a reason to fight.

"_I'm the shield hero. Up until now, I've been protecting you, haven't I? But even if I can protect you, I can't defeat every enemy by myself."_

"_Your parents aren't coming back, but you can help other kids. You can help keep the same thing from happening to them!"_

After sustaining some grueling injuries, Naofumi had ordered her to either attack the beast or run for her life. Raphtalia had eventually mustered her courage and stabbed the beast right down the center between its two heads, cutting it cleanly in two. She had felt scared, and was covered in blood, but she had protected her master.

Raphtalia had taken a vow that day. A vow to never be afraid to fight for what she cared about, and to fight the waves so no children had to lose their loved ones like she did. She hadn't suffered from nightmares ever since that day.

Naofumi decided to absorb the creature's remains to rid her of its memory forever. This conveniently unlocked another shield which would quickly become his shield of choice during combat.

**Two-Headed Black Dog Shield: conditions met**

**Two-Headed Black Dog Shield: ability locked**

**Equip bonus: alert shield**

**Special Effect: Dog Bite**

It looked like a dark, leather shield with two dog heads reminiscent of the creature it came from.** Dog Bite** was an ability that stretched the heads to attack an opponent. It didn't do much damage, but it was effective at holding them in place long enough for one of them to deal a finishing blow.

Back to the present, Naofumi snuck peeks at his companion. _'She's grown so much in such a short time, and just not physically. Elhart was right, she really does act more like an adult than before.'_

He would never admit it, but he noticed that she had definitely grown in _other_ ways as well. Despite the fact that she was still a child in his eyes, he found it increasingly difficult to ignore the obvious feminine additions to her body.

'_That brings up another problem.'_ he thought. _'People always say that teenagers go crazy when they hit puberty, but I can only hope that isn't an issue with Raphtalia. I don't think I could handle her if she goes through a rebellious stage.'_

He hadn't had to use the slave curse since the fight against the dog monster, and he hoped he never had to.

It was even harder to ignore her new appearance when she started crawling into bed with him on occasion. She said it helped keep the nightmares away, so he didn't argue with her. If it helped keep her in tip-top shape in the morning, he'd suffer through it.

She was always so _warm _though, and it made it hard for him to sleep. Even if Raphtalia was adorable, she was basically his daughter. He didn't really feel anything when he slept next to her, even when she sometimes ended up practically on top of him.

Both of them had grown more skilled in combat by a landslide, taking almost every moment of every bit of daylight to train their skills and teamwork. At this point, they were both around level 23 and could handle a large majority of the creatures around Melromarc.

Naofumi had also developed a nasty habit of threatening villagers who discriminated against him for being the shield hero. After learning that he was getting far less than market value for the monster remains he sold, he began hiding balloons under his cloak. Using the balloons to threaten people into giving him what he deserved was surprisingly effective.

Raphtalia always voiced her complaints about how he should act more heroic, but he often ignored them.

Making their way on the single path back to the capital, the party of two walked silently side by side. Raphtalia looked at her master with a variety of emotions.

'_What is this strange feeling?'_ she thought to herself. _'It's like my heart won't stop beating whenever he's close. He's not injured or anything, so it isn't worry or panic.'_ The raccoon often caught herself staring at the man when he wasn't looking. It wasn't like she was examining his outfit or anything, she just...liked to look at him.

That was a secret she'd probably take to her grave.

At first, it had been as simple as wanting to make him smile. The number of times he genuinely smiled at her were few and far between, but they were contagious. After a while, it became a desire to make things easier for Naofumi in any way possible. No matter if it was something small like purchasing ingredients while he's busy making medicine, or patrolling the campsite to make sure there aren't any monsters, she wanted to do it all.

It wasn't like he rewarded her for it. She just wanted to do it anyway.

All these emotions and hormones hit her like a dragon-led carriage as she grew considerably in such a short period of time. Not knowing how to handle them, she did her best to force them down until she could pick them apart one by one. She knew they had to do with getting older, but she had no idea they would be this intense.

Or annoying.

It especially didn't help that she wanted to sleep beside him every night. Raphtalia was far too nervous to ask him more than a few times, and her excuse was always that she had a nightmare. In truth, she hadn't had a single one ever since their fight against the dog monster several weeks ago.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself and think more clearly, Raphtalia looked forward as they arrived into the market square. Walking over to a now-familiar merchant of monster corpses, they pulled out the bodies of several types of creatures.

"I'll take the usual for each one. Nothing special this time, but work is work." Naofumi said, eyes locking with the merchant's. The man's gaze faltered at the very slight opening in the hero's cloak which revealed a few round, orange creatures. With a gulp, he counted his coins and slid the total across the market stall.

"20 silver for all of them. Now beat it." he said quickly. Counting the total himself, Naofumi nodded and pocketed the coins before turning and walking away with Raphtalia beside him.

She pouted at him cutely. "You know, you could at least pretend to be a hero once in a while." she said, crossing her arms for emphasis. Knowingly, or unknowingly, she had pushed up her developing chest with her arms.

Not that Naofumi was looking at her to see it. This only caused her to pout harder.

"I'm not here to make people like me. They're the ones who put me in a situation where I had to buy you in the first place." he said matter-of-factly. His expression was carefree despite the looks of disgust he received from nearby villagers who had overheard him.

"Well...if it means anything, I'm glad you bought me." Raphtalia said with a slight blush. "I can't imagine where I'd be if you hadn't been there that day."

"As sad as it sounds, you might have died there."

"Y-yeah...I don't think I would have lasted much longer..." She gulped. "You never did tell me why they're like this to you."

The townspeople openly hated her master, but were quick to praise her for her adorableness or beauty whenever she was alone. She had never gotten a solid answer on why they acted this way, but she didn't have the courage to ask anyone but her master. However, he always dodged the question with a 'I'll tell you when you're older' that never failed to piss her off.

She was a woman now, dammit! Not some little girl!

"I'll tell you when you get a bit older, Raphtalia." he said, utilizing his tried and true method of avoiding her question.

"You suck, Master Naofumi."

She pouted, and as he looked in her direction he failed to stifle a chuckle. She saw that twinkle in his eyes as he laughed, and despite her frustration she found herself smiling back at him.

Soon, they arrived at a particularly upscale restaurant. "We're here."

Raphtalia looked to her master with confusion. "Master Naofumi, why _are_ we here?" Even with their surplus of funds from the crown safely tucked away, they ended up being frivolous with their money. Not once did they ever go to a fancy place like this, whether it was for eating or sleeping arrangements.

"Since the wave is probably getting close, I figure we deserve a nice meal for once. We've been eating cheap lunches and kid's meals for weeks. You've done really well, so I want you to eat at least one good meal." he said, entering the restaurant with Raphtalia in tow.

They were met by a waiter in expensive clothing who seated them in a lavishly designed, private room. It was on the third floor, decorated with all sorts of beautiful flowers and a breathtaking view of the horizon.

"Some place, huh?" Naofumi asked, relaxing into his chair and looking out over the city. Even if he hated the people that lived here, he couldn't deny that the view was incredible.

"You're right, but...Is something like this really necessary? How much is this meal going to cost?" Raphtalia asked in concern.

Her master waved it off. "Doesn't matter. We're getting something good to eat. We've been working hard these past few weeks and I'm not going to make you survive on fruits and kids meals."

After taking their food orders and disappearing, the waiter returned with a bottle of wine that appeared shockingly expensive along with two glasses. Naofumi looked at him before holding his hand up. "Oh sorry, the wine isn't necessary. I don't drink." he said plainly.

"Actually, keep it here. I may want some when the food arrives."

Naofumi looked to Raphtalia with one eyebrow raised, but said nothing until the waiter was out of earshot. His inquisitive stare made it hard for her to calm her nerves or halt the nervous wagging of her tail.

"You'd better not make drinking a habit." he lectured, even as she poured herself a small glass of the dark red liquid. Her face held complete concentration on her task until the glass was filled.

"I'm not a kid anymore Master Naofumi! I _know_ that Mister Elhart told you how demi-humans work." Seeing his shock, she continued with a smirk. "Yeah that's right. I could hear you both clear as day. You didn't think these ears were just for show, right?"

Naofumi was silent for a few moments before he cleared his throat. "You're still like, ten years old." He tried to find a stronger case for his argument, but came up short.

"For all intents and purposes, I'm basically an adult now."

"Still, drinking is expensive."

Her smirk was replaced with another pout before she took a sip of her beverage. Ignoring the initial burst of flavor and burn of the alcohol, she downed the majority of the glass she had poured. Seeing that she was reaching for the bottle to pour another, Naofumi grabbed it and held it away from her hands for a moment before pouring some into his own glass.

"Fine, fine. I'll drink with you, Raphtalia. If only to keep you from drinking this entire bottle of-" he looked at the price tag and his expression turned slightly frustrated. "80 silver for a bottle of wine!? Holy shit! This is highway robbery!"

He sighed in defeat before pouring a noticeably smaller amount into the raccoon's glass. "Here." he said. "Drink it _slowly_."

Her pout gave way to a wide smile despite the warmth of the liquor in her stomach that made her feel a bit weird. Something about him giving into her demands made her feel vindicated. Was it the fact that he was treating her more as an adult?

Ignorant to Raphtalia's internal dilemma, Naofumi instructed her. "The first thing to remember is to drink slowly. The faster you drink, the worse you'll handle it." Swirling the liquid in his glass slightly and sniffing it, Raphtalia tilted her head cutely at him as he took a small sip to savor the flavor. "You probably feel pretty warm right now, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It tasted like fruit but it had this strange aftertaste." she said, mimicking her master in smelling the beverage.

"Now the next thing to remember is to not drink much without eating plenty of food beforehand. Alcohol hits you way harder if you don't eat beforehand. From what I've been told, it feels like someone pounding a mallet against your head. That's called a hangover."

He had never experienced one himself. If there was one thing to be thankful for, it was his inability to feel the aftereffects of liquor.

After their food arrived, the duo finished their unsurprisingly fantastic meal along with the whole bottle of wine. Raphtalia had concluded that her master was completely resistant to the effects of alcohol. Herself?...

...Not so much.

"Master Naofumiiiii. My head feels a little dizzy..."

The hero shook his head as he watched his companion slump forward onto the table.

He sighed. "That's what happens when you drink. Come on, let's get going. We can relax a little at the inn tonight, but we need to get up early."

She groaned and smacked her head dramatically against the table with an audible 'thunk', rattling the silverware and glasses slightly. "But I don't wanna work tomorrow! We work every day!"

He grabbed her arm lightly and began raising her out of her seat, effectively ending the argument. "We have to work if we want to survive. If we survive the wave, I promise we'll get another good meal. Sound good?"

"Fine..." she moaned. As Raphtalia stood up, she struggled to keep her balance. Naofumi ended up having to push her to keep the woman upright on more than one occasion.

After a few moments of walking assisted occasionally by Naofumi, Raphtalia had an idea. It wasn't a smart idea, but she was feeling cuddly and her master was warm. She grabbed his arm and slung it around her waist before wrapping her own arm around his. He blushed and looked at her in surprise.

"Uh, are you okay?" he asked.

"Hm? I feel alright now, thank you."

Minutes passed in silence as the duo walked the streets. The rising moon began to shine its light down on them, bathing the streets in white light. Raphtalia didn't know whether she was taking things too far, but she didn't voice her thoughts.

By the time they arrived at the inn, her eyes had begun to droop. They had spent yet another day out in the fields slaying monsters without much rest, and it was starting to take its toll on her. Raphtalia could only hope that things would get a bit less monotonous after a while.

They had reserved a room for weeks at a time in order to make sure they both had a bed to themselves. Naofumi didn't enjoy sleeping on the floor, even though he had offered the bed to his companion when she needed it. Plus, he had the money available to make the innkeeper happy enough to have his business. The man didn't even put up a fuss, believe it or not.

"Alright Raphtalia, let's get some sleep okay?" he said, pulling a flask of water out of his inventory and handing it to his partner who nodded and gulped it down.

"Okay."

Laying her down on her bed, the hero attempted to change into his pajamas but his arm was tugged, stopping him. "Master Naofumi, can you help me change into my pajamas?" Raphtalia asked sleepily. The man blushed and shook his head.

"You said it yourself that you're an adult now. Adults can change themselves." he said with finality.

She pouted, but because of the tired look on her face she looked more sad than anything else. "Can you at least help me get my boots off?" she pleaded.

Naofumi groaned and rolled his eyes. "Alright, give me a minute."

Reaching down, he unlaced the first boot before trying to slip it off. The boot was a bit tighter than he expected, and he ended up having to place his hand on Raphtalia's leg to pull it off.

However, because the boots covered nearly up to her knees, his hand landed on the girl's creamy thigh. To his surprise, he didn't think of it as anything more than helping her out. Ever since _she_ betrayed him, Naofumi found it difficult to even imagine himself getting close to a woman.

Raphtalia was...unique. _Special_. For some reason, he didn't want to go on a murderous rampage with her around.

He quickly removed both boots and turned away. "There. You can do the rest."

"Mhm..."

Naofumi changed into his own pajamas, which were really just another set of clothes that he only wore to sleep. By the time he finished with that, he noticed that the raccoon had already fallen asleep. She hadn't even changed out of her clothes.

'_What a mess. She'd better not turn into an alcoholic, or we'll have to have a serious talk._.' he thought. The hero crawled into his own bed and sighed. He wasn't sure when the wave was supposed to come, but it had to be soon. The local adventurers guild was abuzz with activity as people completed jobs at a frantic pace. Elhart had said most of them were ordering new equipment as well.

Deciding to think more on it in the morning, Naofumi slowly drifted off to sleep.

His rest was interrupted by the sunlight seeping through his eyelids. He yawned and stretched as he forced the sleep out of his eyes.

He got up and did his morning stretches, pushups, and situps. They had become a routine for him, and at this point he used them to help wake himself up. Raphtalia would normally join him, but today she was still asleep.

'_The alcohol must have something to do with it.'_ Naofumi thought.

After he finished, he gently shook the raccoon who stirred. "Raphtalia, get up. We've got another busy day of work ahead of us." he said.

She groaned and opened her eyes slightly before letting out a yawn. "Okay, Master Naofumi. I'm getting up."

"How do you feel?"

Raphtalia stood up and stretched. "Not too bad. I don't think I drank enough to get a hangover."

"That's good. We're stopping by the old man's shop to pick up our things. I'll think of a plan after that."

After getting themselves ready, the pair left the inn with some sandwiches in their hands. They made their way to a familiar blacksmith's shop and were greeted by the owner himself.

"Well well, look what the king dragged in! How are my two favorite kiddos doing this fine morning?" Elhart said, smiling as he drank a smelly, dark liquid.

"Not bad. We had an interesting learning experience yesterday." he said, eyeing the raccoon out of the corner of his vision.

"What are you-"

"This one got to learn what wine is." Naofumi jabbed a thumb in her direction and Raphtalia pouted.

Elhart laughed heartily, still sipping on his beverage and watching the show.

She groaned. "Master Naofumi, you really don't need to make such a big deal about it." Blushing and still mildly in pain, she looked toward the blacksmith who she had begun to see as a sort of grandfather figure. "By the way Mister Elhart, what are you drinking?"

"Oh this? This is called coffee. It's made from superheated bean grounds and water, and it helps you wake up. You want some?" he motioned to a small pot of boiling water over a flame. It had a metal tray holding beans suspended above it by metal wires.

"That would be wonderful, thank you." she said. After being handed a cup filled with the liquid, she blew on it to lower the temperature before sipping it and gagging. "Ugh! How do you drink this stuff? It's so bitter!"

The old man chuckled as he sipped his own cup again. "It's an acquired taste, little lady. You need to be at a hundred percent if you want to run a shop effectively. Gotta be awake bright and early to make the most of each day." he said sagely.

Naofumi had never been a coffee person. He was surprised that it even existed in this world. This world had so many differences to his own, but it had a shocking number of similarities as well.

Looking around the store, he noticed something that hadn't been there before. It was a longsword that shined brightly and reflected the morning sun beautifully. The glow from the star gave it an almost ethereal appearance. "Old man, did you just make this one?" he asked, grabbing the hilt of the sword and marvelling at its feather-like weight.

"Aye, I just finished that one a few days ago actually. I used some Light Metal ore from the mines that you visited to make it. It's some of the best stuff we can get from this area." Elhart said.

"How much are you charging for it? I was planning on buying Raphtalia a new sword since the old one is a bit small for her now."

Elhart put his hand to his chin in thought. "Well I was planning on selling it for about 120 silvers, but since you sold the metal to me I suppose I can give you guys a special discount on this one. How about 90 silvers? That barely covers the cost of the metals I already bought from you."

Looking toward his partner for confirmation, she walked over and held the weapon in her own hands. "I think I'll like it, Master. Are you sure you don't want something for yourself? I know we made plenty of money this month, but shouldn't we make sure we're both well prepared for the wave?" she asked.

As she looked at him, Naofumi was perusing the selection of shields. When he didn't respond, she cocked her head to the side. "Master Naofumi? Why bother looking at shields? Isn't your shield better?" He was absorbed in thought, as a sensation nagged at him to hold one of the shields in his other hand.

Raphtalia pouted at being ignored as he grabbed a larger shield off of the wall. It was nearly 5 feet in length from top to bottom, and was fairly wide. It was made of steel and stained a darker shade, giving it a more imposing appearance. All in all, it was a kite shield designed to protect the user's body from both weapons and projectiles.

He put his forearm through the first handle on the backside of the shield and gripped the second handle in his fist. _'It feels weird having it on my other hand, but I suppose I could get used to it if I had to. This thing is a lot heavier than any of my other shields, but I bet it would keep me a lot safer too.'_ he thought to himself.

All of a sudden, his shield became a carbon copy of the one in his hand

"Woah, what just happened!?" Raphtalia cried out in shock.

"I'm...not sure." Naofumi responded, searching through his menu. A new entry was added to the help menu, and a new shield was added to his list of shields.

**Darksteel Shield: conditions met**

**Darksteel Shield: ability locked**

**Equip Bonus: Defense 2, Fire Resistance (small)**

As he looked at the tip in his help menu, Naofumi's eyes widened. "Woah..."

Elhart rushed over. "Hey, hey! What did you just do!?" he asked.

"Apparently, I can copy shields just by holding them."

"What!? You've gotta be kidding me! I go through all that work to make it, and you can just _copy_ the damn thing!?" The blacksmith sulked behind the counter. "It's not fair..."

"Anyway," he looked at the older man who was still sulking behind the counter, "Old man, how much were you charging for that shield?"

Composing himself, Elhart stood up and wiped his face. "I was charging 160 silver for it. It took a lot of metal to make, and I put a lot of effort into-."

"Here, no need for a discount this time. Gotta keep the shop running for when we get back, right?" he said, interrupting the man.

"You're actually the best, kid." Putting the coins into a box under the counter, the blacksmith teared up again but forced them away. "Oh that reminds me, your armor is finished. Want to see it?" he asked.

The two shrugged. "Sure! You've been working on it for weeks, so I bet it'll be amazing!" Raphtalia said with a smile.

"Alright, hold here for a moment and I'll bring them out. You'll love it!" Elhart said before scurrying to the back of the shop. There were sounds of metal objects being knocked off of tables and the occasional "dammit" or "fuck", which made the raccoon giggle.

After a few moments, he returned and presented his first item. It was a leather jerkin fitted for a female's frame. The metal breastplate had intricate designs embossed into it. Leather shoulderplates and arm guards were topped with steel plates for added protection without loss of mobility. Shin guards accompanied the set, protecting the future user's feet.

Raphtalia's eyes twinkled and Naofumi was impressed. "Wow! It looks incredible, Mister Elhart!" the girl praised.

Proud and smug, the blacksmith held it out toward her. "Go ahead and try it on, little lady!"

She turned before quickly equipping the armor one piece at a time. It took a few minutes for her to tighten everything to her liking before she turned around with a happy smile. "It fits perfectly! How did you know exactly what I would want?"

Elhart pointed a finger at her master. "The kid here had a feeling you wouldn't want anything too bulky, so I focused on protecting your arms and chest more than your legs. You shouldn't have any trouble moving around, especially since I used leather and not a lot of metal."

She looked at her master, who examined her. "You look good, Raphtalia. How does it fit?" he asked

She pumped her fist in the air. "It's great! This isn't restrictive at all. It's almost like it isn't there!" she said. Elhart managed to blush from the praise. One of the biggest joys in his life was seeing his customers truly happy, especially on a custom order like this one.

"I agree with him, it does suit you very well. Much better than the mannequins I used to model it." he joked, earning a blush from the raccoon. "Alright, let me go get the other one."

Rushing back into the other room for a moment, he returned with something that was a bit more..._extra_.

It had an angular metal breastplate that reminded him of the **small shield**, with small leather guards that would fit over his forearms and his thighs. A forest green cape rested over its thin shoulderplates, and fur lined the collar of his armor.

"I put a lot of work into this one, so I hope you like it!" Elhart exclaimed with a smile.

Raphtalia nudged her master forward with her hand. "Go on, Master Naofumi! Try it on!" she coaxed. Despite his apprehension, he complied.

After several minutes and some assistance from both of his helpers, Naofumi stood in his new outfit. Elhart couldn't keep the wide smile from his face, and Raphtalia's eyes were lit up. "Master, you look so cool! It fits you perfectly!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

Naofumi sweatdropped. "Really? I think it makes me look like a bandit, not a hero."

"But it fits your personality."

"That's what I'm complaining about."

Chuckling, Elhart waved off the man's concern. "Oh don't worry too much about it. I bet all the other heroes are going to wear flashy, shiny armor. This will at least let you stand out."

"Fine, I guess I'll take it. Here's the rest of the payment." Naofumi said, handing a sack of coins over to Elhart. The blacksmith didn't even count it.

"So, what's your plan now?" Elhart asked, crossing his arms. Naofumi and Raphtalia shared a look and a shrug.

"I'm not sure. Prepare with medicine, I guess."

"Have you stopped by the Dragon Hourglass?"

"The what?" Naofumi asked in confusion.

The bald man cocked his head to the side. "You mean you haven't even gone there once? That's how you register for the wave."

The hero groaned, digging a hand into his forehead. "Are you serious? They didn't even bother to _mention_ that to me?"

"Looks like you need to stop by the Three Heroes Church, kid. But be careful while you're there. The sisters and the pope might not be too friendly to you."

"Oh don't worry, _I'm well aware of that._" Naofumi said, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in anger. Raphtalia gave a worried look to her master.

"Master Naofumi...are you okay?" she asked, hesitantly.

After a few moments he relaxed. "Yeah. Let's just go. Thanks for the stuff, old man. You'd better survive the wave, or I'll be stuck without anyone to buy stuff from."

"Don't worry, kid. I'm not going anywhere."

The two made their way to the church. It wasn't hard to find, considering the building was massive compared to everything besides the castle. Upon entering, they were stopped by a group of nuns.

"How can we help you, shield hero?" one asked. They didn't even bother to hide their scorn.

"I need to see the hourglass to register for the wave."

"I see." The woman turned to the others and they whispered amongst themselves for a moment. "I'm afraid that's not possible. We've received a royal decree stating that the shield hero is not allowed to register at the hourglass."

"What the hell does that mean!? That's the whole reason you idiots summoned me!" he cried out in shock. "You're seriously gonna sit here and tell me I'm supposed to help, but I'm _not allowed!?_"

"Like I said, the royal decree says we cannot help you. Please leave." The nuns looked frustrated at his insistence.

"Screw that. I came here to register, and that's what I'm going to do. Whether you like it, or not." Naofumi said, brushing past the nuns and further into the church.

"You would defile this sacred place with your filth!? I should have the holy knights arrest you!"

The hero turned with fury in his gaze. "And then what!? You'll have them try to kill me? _Again!?_ I'll fucking pass. Just stay out of my way." He kept walking into the church, ignoring the nuns who scrambled around in a panic. Raphtalia cautiously followed behind him.

As they entered, they bore witness to a massive golden hourglass in the middle of the room. Red sand slowly trickled to the bottom half, and only a small amount remained in the top half.

"Fine then. Just put your hand on the hourglass to register, then leave and never show yourself here again."

The hero did as he was told, ignoring the nun's tone. As soon as he touched the hourglass's surface, a beam of light shot from his shield into the hourglass. A timer appeared in the corner of his vision, counting down to the wave.

'_Three days left, huh? We need to double down our efforts just to be safe.'_ he thought, turning and walking back to his companion.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah. We have about three days before the wave hits, so we need to make sure we're-"

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in! I'm surprised you have the balls to show your face around here, after what you did."

Naofumi clenched his fists in rage as the familiar voice of Motoyasu rang out through the chamber. Raphtalia placed a hand on his back comfortingly, but he shrugged it off. "Come on, Raphtalia. Let's get out of here."

They tried to leave the chamber, but were stopped by none other than the first princess. "Answer when Lord Motoyasu speaks to you!" she shouted.

"Fuck you." he responded, spitting on the ground in front of her feet.

"How dare you!"

"Hey! You can't say something like that to Myne!" Motoyasu cried, standing between them. Naofumi sent the fiercest glare he could muster.

"I don't give two shits what you think. I can say whatever the hell I want. Let's go before I get sick just looking at them." As Naofumi continued walking away, Raphtalia was stopped by the spear hero grasping her hand.

"And who might you be, my beautiful maiden? My name is Motoyasu Kitamura!" he said happily. Raphtalia stammered for a response, shocked by his quick shift in personality.

"I-I'm, um..."

"Come on. He's not worth your time." Naofumi said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away. The raccoon allowed herself to be dragged out of the church, where her master released her.

As soon as they left the church, Naofumi was breathing heavily. His expression was one of pure, unadulterated fury. It was one that she'd never seen on his face before, and it genuinely frightened her.

"Master Naofumi, are you...alright?" she asked hesitantly.

After a few moments, he let go of some of the tension. Most of it was still there, but the edge was gone. "I'm fine."

He was not fine. Seeing Motoyasu and that _bitch_ pissed him off more than he was willing to admit. Just seeing their faces made him want to take out his sword and cut their heads off, but he knew he couldn't do that. For one, he probably wasn't strong enough. Second, if he did they'd probably send assassins after him.

'_I can't afford to do that to Raphtalia. She finally has somewhere to go and a purpose. If I got arrested permanently or killed she would be alone again.'_

Naofumi refused to respond whenever his raccoon partner pressed for details. _'Just focus on deep breaths. Deep breaths, Naofumi. After the wave, you can focus on moving somewhere else. Hopefully we'll never see those two again.'_

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of activity as the wave drew closer. Adventurers, knights and the like all ran around town to prepare for the oncoming onslaught of monsters. Today was the day of the wave, and the timer in the corner of Naofumi's vision now read less than thirty minutes before it began.

"It's almost here." he said. He may seem calm on the outside but he was unsettled on the inside. He looked to his side to see his partner visibly nervous. "Raphtalia, are you alright? It's okay to be scared; I know I am."

She nodded slowly. "I don't want to lose you, Master Naofumi. We've trained hard to get to where we are, but we have no idea what's even coming. I just hope we're all ready..." she said, shaking slightly.

He gently rubbed her head between her ears. "We're going to be fine. Remember our three rules?" She nodded. "This is where they make a difference. If we cover each other, we can handle this."

"If you say so. Just remember that I'll always be your sword, Master Naofumi." she said, looking up at him with conviction.

"Good. I feel much better with you around."

Inspired by his confidence, the raccoon felt secure despite the impending danger. After finishing their own preparations, the timer began to count down its final minutes.

Finally, after a period of baited breath, the timer ticked down.

**00:00:10...**

**00:00:09...**

**00:00:08...**

**00:00:07...**

**00:00:06...**

**00:00:05...** Naofumi held out his fist to his partner, who bumped her own fist against his and smiled.

**00:00:04...**

**00:00:03...**

**00:00:02...**

**00:00:01...**

**00:00:00**

A bright light flashed across the sky, and suddenly the world was blanketed in a dark red shade. Suddenly, the duo were encompassed by a golden light before a weightless feeling enveloped them. They opened their eyes to see that they were on a hill overlooking a large forested area.

"Where are we?" Raphtalia asked, looking around.

"I don't know, but I figure the wave is around here." Naofumi responded, looking to the sky.

Huge swarms of giant wasps, undead soldiers, and some bulky, house-sized undead were pouring out of holes in the sky. Looking down below the cliff, Naofumi noticed the other three heroes rushing toward the center of the conflict. "Raphtalia, let's-"

"Master Naofumi, look over there!" she said, interrupting him and pointing toward the horizon. "I think that's Lute Village over there! If all the knights are coming here, the town will be defenseless!" she exclaimed with panic on her face.

Ever since they'd cleared the mine of the more dangerous monsters, Naofumi noticed that the people of Lute Village treated them much more amicably than before. Originally it didn't make much of a difference, but he had found himself appreciating the silence as he walked through their town.

Not having everyone glaring daggers at him also helped.

Taking a moment to look at his fellow heroes, Naofumi scoffed. "Come on, then! Let's go!" She followed after him as he took off running..

What greeted them at the village was a disaster. Bodies of humans and monsters lay scattered around the market square. Some houses had severe damage, probably from the larger creatures. People were scattered and screaming in terror, chased by the attacking horde of monsters.

The hero rushed in as he saw a small group of villagers struggling against a monster. As the Interdimensional Zombie brought its weapon down to strike the frightened man, it was intercepted by a large shield. Naofumi grunted as he held the enemy's weapon in place. "I'll buy you some time, so get your families and get out of the village! It isn't safe to stay here!" he yelled.

Moments later, Raphtalia appeared and swung her new weapon in a wide arc which sliced multiple zombies in half. With his opponent now gone, Naofumi slashed his own sword at another zombie, bisecting it from one shoulder to its waist.

The villagers were rightfully scared, but were smart enough to move quickly. Seeing them run off, Naofumi turned to his partner. "We need to round up the civilians and get them out of here. Can you do that while I get the monsters' attention?"

She nodded at him. "Yes. Be careful Master Naofumi, and remember the rules. _No unnecessary danger_, got it?" she said, and without waiting for him to reply she dashed off into the town.

'_One day, she's going to be more than I can handle.'_

The hero didn't have time to think before he spotted another group of villagers in danger. Several children were hiding behind a horrified mother who wielded a broom. Seeing that they were about to be attacked by a small group of giant wasps, Naofumi reached his hand out and called out the name of his ability.

"**Shield Prison!"**

Before the wasps could close in, a metal ball of chains and shields encompassed the group of humans and protected them. He swiped his sword masterfully through the three wasps, killing them with a single strike each while they were disoriented.

Releasing his ability, he shouted. "Get out of the village while you can!" They eagerly complied, running as fast as they could toward safety. Naofumi dashed off in search of larger groups of monsters or people who needed help.

As he was running down an alley, a nearby house had a large chunk of its side crash to the ground in front of him. From behind the settling dust came a massive undead creature. It was covered in armor and appeared insanely strong. The beast roared at him and charged, swinging its fist backhanded toward the comparatively small man.

Switching to his **Darksteel Shield**, Naofumi took the brunt of the attack head on. Although he managed to stop the huge fist, he could feel his arms going numb from the force behind the attack. As the creature pulled back its hand, Naofumi shook out his arms to get the feeling back.

'_Note to self, blocking really big things isn't a good idea.'_ he thought to himself. Seeing that it was going for a straight punch at him, the hero jumped directly upward. As its fist struck the ground, a cloud of dust was kicked up. The arm was large enough that Naofumi landed on it.

With a roar, he gripped his blade in both hands and swung with all his might and cut the hand clean off. Blood gushed from the giant's wound and it groaned in pain, assuming undead could even feel pain. Leaping off of the stump arm, Naofumi could tell that the giant was a bit slower now that it had been dealt some damage.

This time it charged with its entire body, aiming to crush the small human underneath its massive weight.

"**Air Strike Shield!"**

A green, spectral shield appeared and jammed itself horizontally into the giant's stomach, halting its advance. Naofumi mentally patted himself on the back.

'_Going into the mines was the best thing to happen to us. Between the Rope Shield and the Pipe Shield, those two abilities really come in handy.'_

Taking advantage of the momentary opening, Naofumi jumped onto the shield as a platform. Jumping off of it, he brought his sword down upon the skull of the zombie. The attack carved deeply into the monster's head, and it slumped forward before collapsing on the ground. Naofumi noted the large amount of experience he received from it, but kept moving.

He would have time to take inventory of everything later, after everyone was safe.

He soon came across a fairly large group of villagers armed with weapons ranging from swords to pitchforks. Rushing between them and the swarm of monsters that confronted them, he yelled.

"Get out of here, quickly! I'll take care of these!" 

Grabbing the attention of the monsters and leading them away, the villagers caught their breath.

"It's one of the Heroes!"

"Why is he here alone?"

"Is he really here to save us?"

Naofumi decided to yell back. "Think about your friends and family! Do you want to throw your lives away!? Get out of here, now!"

The townspeople looked to each other before yelling back. "We're not running! We'll fight these monsters with you!"

Shaking his head, Naofumi noticed a burning house that had a small child crawling away from it. As he got closer, he could hear the child's cries as he reached out toward the building.

"Mom! Mom!"

Slicing the monsters that were preparing to attack the boy, Naofumi used his **Shield Prison** to protect him. The hero slid underneath the burning rubble to enter the building. He quickly spotted an injured woman and grabbed her in a princess carry.

"Don't worry, we're all getting out of here alive." he said to her.

"Th-thank you, shield hero."

As he exited the building with the woman in his arms, Naofumi released his **shield prison** and grabbed the child with his one arm. He slung the child and his mother over his shoulders effortlessly.

Rushing with the two and dodging incoming monsters, he eventually reached the group of villagers who stood firm against the horde. The hero dropped his two passengers off behind the group of armed villagers.

"Stay with them! They'll keep you safe! I'll keep their attention!" he shouted, running off to gather more monsters. After getting a couple more to follow him, he saw a watchtower not far from him along with a large bell.

Quickly formulating a plan, he began to climb the single ladder that led to the top of the tower. As he reached the top, he rang the large bell multiple times. The loud sound shook his entire body, but managed to get the attention of nearly every monster in town.

Soon enough, the undead were attempting to climb the watchtower. They couldn't climb the ladder like he did, but they used each other as footstools to reach higher. After seeing a huge mob of monsters attached to the tower, Naofumi took a large pot of oil and a nearby torch in his hands. Pouring the oil around the wooden watchtower and the undead below him, he dropped the torch into the oil and lit the entire tower aflame.

He switched to his Rope Shield and jumped from the top of the tower to a nearby house.

"**Rope!" **

The spool of rope that comprised his shield unwound quickly, shooting out and wrapping around a post on top of the building. The post held for a moment before snapping, slowing his descent but still leaving the hero with a rough landing on the dirt.

Surprisingly, he was in much less pain than he expected considering how tall the watchtower was. As he looked at the tower, he thanked his defense stat for protecting him from such a huge fall.

The mob of undead creatures burned and melted before his eyes. Some shambled a short distance away from the tower or fell off completely before becoming still. The stench of burning flesh smacked him in the face and Naofumi gagged, doing his best to hold in his latest meal.

After a moment of calming his stomach, he managed to look up and see another massive undead walking toward the villager group. Finding his voice, he yelled. "Get out of the way! Watch out!" He began rushing toward them, but was still a fair distance away.

The townspeople turned and finally noticed the large monster making its way toward them. Some raised their weapons in defiance while others cowered in fear. Naofumi finally reached the group, and stood in front of them protectively.

"Leave this one to me! Back up!" he yelled.

He deflected a fast punch into the ground using his shield before using his **Air Strike Shield **to slam into the creature's throat. It fell backward onto the ground, and struggled to pick itself back up. Catching his breath for a moment, he barely noticed the blur before large wounds appeared over the monster's body.

Its arms spewed blood and its head was cleaved in two. A woman with auburn hair and raccoon ears sheathed her blade, walking out from behind the beast. She looked up and smiled, jogging toward them. "Master Naofumi! Thank goodness you're safe!"

Smiling back at her, the hero nodded. "I took a couple good hits, but it's nothing I couldn't handle. How did everything go with the villagers? Are they all safe?"

"Yes. All of the townspeople that survived are west of here, near the mines. I've taken care of the rest of the monsters in the village, so we should be safe for now." she said, scanning the area for enemies just in case.

"Great, now all we need is to-"

He stopped as he saw bright streaks of light fly into the sky. They all struck each other into a large explosion which began to rain down large balls of fire upon them.

"Get down!"

Unable to protect everyone, Naofumi wrapped his arms around Raphtalia and held his shield in front of him to defend them from the blasts. Just like it always did, the shield created an invisible barrier around the pair as the fire bounced off. Although they weren't taking damage, they could still feel the heat from the nearby flames. After a half a minute or so, the flames stopped and Naofumi's barrier vanished.

He could hear footsteps and a smug voice. "The shield demon is here, so that should have taken care of him." Rage bubbled in the hero's chest, but he forced it down. Nothing good would come of him getting into a fight with the knights, especially not during a wave.

Another voice came from another knight. "So you're still alive. You're a tough one to get rid of." Raphtalia's eyes saw nothing but red.

She dashed out from the safety of her hero's arms and thrust her blade toward the voice, but it was blocked by the man's sword. "Why are you here!? Tell me, and I may let you leave with your head still on your shoulders!" she said, voice as cold as ice.

The man was not fazed in the slightest as he pushed back against the locked blades. "You dare raise a sword against a royal knight, you filthy demi-human?"

Raphtalia was seething. "Don't you care about the villagers!? These are their homes! You've done just as much damage as the monsters have!"

"Be silent, or I'll kill you where you stand!"

Gritting her teeth, she decided to withdraw and back up halfway between the knights and her master.

The first knight spoke once again. "The three heroes are busy fighting the real monsters and you're here cleaning up trash? You're pathetic, _shield hero_." Raphtalia's eyes narrowed in anger as she restrained herself from attempting to attack him again.

Seeing his companion's anger, Naofumi called out. "Raphtalia, ignore them." She didn't move. "I said ignore them, Raphtalia. They're not worth it.." Her anger broke as she complied with her master's wish.

The knights stood, smug in their supposed victory. "Ha! Look at the shield demon, cowering in fear!"

"I suppose it can't be all bad to stand down. After all, we could always let them become _monster food instead_." His voice gained a dangerous edge near the end and an evil glint came to his eyes.

The knights turned at the sound of movement behind them and panicked. Multiple undead giants were already preparing to strike. Naofumi dashed in front of the knights, blocking the fist with his shield. "Raphtalia, now!" he yelled.

"Right!"

She leapt over him onto the arm of the beast before slicing its head off at the neck. Its body flopped to the ground motionless. After they had dealt with the remaining monsters, the duo turned toward the frightened knights.

"Now, run on back to your _heroes_ while we handle things here. You're in my way.." Naofumi said to them. The knights held differing expressions. Some of them, specifically the older three, clicked their tongues in annoyance. The younger ones were still in awe at their skill in dealing with such powerful creatures.

"Come on men, let's go back to where the Three Heroes are." the oldest knight said, turning and walking away. Four of the youngest knights looked between the hero and their commander before one spoke.

"Shield hero, we'll fight with you!"

Naofumi was surprised that anyone wanted him around considering his reputation, but accepted the help nonetheless. The knight commander scoffed and walked away into the forest with his two remaining knights.

Naofumi prepared to thank the knights, but Raphtalia beat him to the punch. "Master Naofumi, there's something coming this way. Something big, I can hear it along with the sound of combat."

Without wasting a moment, Naofumi called out. "Knights, I'd suggest you get into some kind of formation. Whatever is coming may be a lot bigger than we're expecting." The men were frightened, but quickly created a formation around the remaining villagers who remained in the town.

Suddenly, a screeching roar tore through the air. A massive creature broke through the treeline and turned back around toward the forest. Few details aside from a lion-like body could be noticed from the distance.

"**Crimson Blade!"**

A man with a flaming sword jumped forward to slash at the beast. The flames licked at its body, setting it on fire. However, it was extinguished within seconds.

"**Silver Arrow!"**

"**Lightning Spear!"**

Glowing arrows and a bolt of lightning struck the creature, carving deep wounds into its body. Although it had already sustained some damage, the beast was not finished yet. Rushing toward the commotion, Naofumi and Raphtalia got a better look at the monster as well as its opponents. It stood across from the three heroes, who looked calm and carefree despite the situation.

The monster had multiple heads. One was a lion, one was an eagle, and one was a dragon. Its tail was a large snake that hissed and snapped at its opponents. Seeing a small indicator appear in his vision, Naofumi was able to verify that this monster was a Chimera.

Motoyasu turned to look at the incoming pair. "Yo, looks like the criminal finally wants to be useful! Come here and draw its attention will ya?" he yelled, mockingly.

The rage built within Naofumi once more, and a hot aura began to surround him. Raphtalia shook her master's shoulder. "Master Naofumi! Don't let him get to you!"

He seemed to calm down slightly from the sound of her voice. "Thanks, Raphtalia. Let's get in there!"

Naofumi got close enough to the Chimera to garner its attention. As it turned to face him directly, he calmly strode forward while drawing his sword. The other heroes were beyond shocked.

Itsuki and Ren's mouths were both open in surprise, and Motoyasu's eyebrows shot up. Each one of them thought the same thing. _'I thought we could only use our Legendary Weapons!?'_ They had each tried to hold another weapon at some point, but had received a nasty shock in return. After a few tries, they had all given up on the idea.

"Raphtalia, go for the tail! I'll handle the heads!" the shield hero called out. His partner responded by circling around the beast. Only the lion's head swiveled toward her, while the others were focused on her master.

Naofumi rushed forward, blocking the central eagle's head with his shield before swiping his sword at the oncoming claws. The blade only sank lightly into the beast's skin, barely damaging it. The dragon's head roared, heat gathering in its mouth.

As it attempted to breathe fire on him, a blade found its way through one of the back legs of the Chimera. The blow knocked it off balance and caused the flames to spray up into the air. Raphtalia narrowly avoided the snake tail's bite as it swung at her, retreating to a safe distance.

Suddenly, a simultaneous yell of three men filled the air and three weapons buried themselves deep into the chest of the monster. A sword, a spear, and a bow's arrow were lodged into where the creature's heart would most likely be. The beast fell over, bleeding profusely and no longer moving.

Pulling their weapons away, the three heroes looked to each other and smiled. Motoyasu was the first to speak. "Man, that was easy."

"I'm sure the next wave will be easy too. We barely took any damage." Itsuki said calmly.

"Hmm. The wave doesn't seem to be over. Is there another Chimera?" Ren wondered out loud, walking away and looking toward the sky.

The other two heroes jumped off the monster's body. Itsuki followed Ren toward the forest, but Motoyasu chose to walk toward a certain raccoon.

"I didn't manage to get your name the last time we met, beautiful. You're very strong and very pretty." he said, arrogantly.

Naofumi was breathing heavily as he recovered from the brute force of the Chimera's strike. It had a lot of weight behind it, and his already sore arms were sure to be screaming at him tomorrow.

However, upon hearing the spear hero's voice, the rage found its way to the surface once again. The air around him heated up, creating a haze around his body.

Raphtalia completely ignored the man in favor of rushing over and checking on her master. "Master Naofumi! Are you alright?" the man nodded.

"Yeah...I'm okay."

"You actually care about that _rapist?_" The spear hero's words only fanned the flames of rage building within Naofumi's body. "Get away from him! He's dangerous!"

"Master Naofumi isn't dangerous! He saved me!" Raphtalia shouted back.

"He raped his last companion! If he hasn't already, he'll do the same thing to you!"

The rage continued to grow, and the heat increased until the ground beneath his feet caught fire. As the Shield Hero slowly stood up and approached Motoyasu, the body of the Chimera twitched slightly.

'_Don't kill him...don't kill him...'_ Naofumi had to remind himself in his mind, lest he actually do something he'd regret.

"It's not safe to be with him! Come with me and I'll save you!" The man held his arms open as if expecting a hug.

"No! I'm not leaving Master Naofumi's side, ever!" Raphtalia shouted back in anger. "He's a good man, I know it! I've seen it with my own eyes!"

"A man like that is better off dead! Or are you just his whore!?"

'_Oh no he fucking did not.'_ The rage reached its boiling point.

Red veins stretched across naofumi's face as he burst into flames. The flames were an unnaturally dark shade of red, and the heat they exuded made Raphtalia back away from him in shock.

"**You wanna say that shit again?"** he asked, slowly trudging toward the spear hero with murder in his eyes.

"What the hell is going on!? How do you have such powerful magic already!?" Motoyasu screamed, but he backed away in fear.

"Lord Motoyasu!" Malty ran up to the blond hero. "Be careful! The shield demon is showing his true colors!"

Suddenly, the Chimera's body jumped from its spot on the ground toward Naofumi. Raphtalia screamed as it roared, unable to reach her master and savior in time.

"_**GET OUT OF MY WAY!"**_ he screamed in anger, swiping his sword toward the massive creature. The flames covering his sword erupted into a massive blast of fire that rocketed through the Chimera and into the forest. He barely looked before turning back toward the shocked Spear Hero.

He ignored the gushing sound of blood, crashing of trees, and the shaking of the earth in favor of slowly ambling toward Motoyasu, who stood frightened at the display.

"N-Naofumi, just calm down!"

"**I'm as calm as I'm ever gonna get!"** Naofumi, still covered in red veins of powerful anger, spoke in a twisted and dark voice.

"S-stay back, demon! I-I'll tell my father what you're doing! He'll destroy you!" Malty cried, cowering behind Motoyasu.

"**Let him fucking try!"** he screamed, the flames that surrounded him flared viciously, tearing the ground apart. Everywhere he stepped, the ground was scorched black.

Motoyasu was terrified. He had never seen anyone wield this kind of power before, and it was the shield hero who had it? Wasn't he supposed to be weak!?.

Raising his blade once again, Naofumi's arm was grabbed before he could swipe at his antagonist. "Master Naofumi, no! You won! I'm okay, he can't hurt us!" she pleaded, pulling with all her might to keep her master from attacking. The flames, miraculously, didn't hurt her at all.

After a few more moments of raging fire, they lessened in strength before vanishing altogether. The red veins that previously covered the hero's face disappeared, and he panted heavily. Exhausted, he fell to his knees.

"Raphtalia... did _*huff*_ did we do it?" he managed to ask, still struggling to breathe. Raphtalia hugged him tightly and responded with a smile.

"Yes Master, we won. The wave is over, look!" She pointed up toward the sky, which had returned to normal. The world was much bluer than before, no longer enveloped by the wave of catastrophe.

"Good..."

He managed to mumble before his body became dead weight. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed.

"Master Naofumi!" the raccoon shouted, clutching him tightly and preventing him from falling to the ground. He had passed out completely, exhausted from the stress of the day and whatever that power was.

Raphtalia put her head against his neck and could hear his shallow breathing. _'He's going to be okay, he's alive!'_ she thought with relief. She was terrified of whatever had just happened to him, but she was more concerned about his well being.

Motoyasu and Malty stood slack-jawed. Off in the distance, Ren and Itsuki wore similar expressions. The reason for their shock was right in front of them.

The Chimera's body was incinerated, sliced in half by the intense heat of Naofumi's attack. A large number of trees behind it lay upon the ground, still burning.


	6. Chapter 7 (rewritten)

**"You can't break a man the way you break a dog, or a horse. The harder you beat a man, the taller he stands." - The Jackal, Far Cry 2**

**Here's the next rewritten chapter! A lot has changed here, so be sure to keep these events in mind as the chapters get updated. This one started out slow for me, but ended up being a lot of fun to fix! Let me know what you think!**

**Enjoy!**

Cracking open his eyes, Naofumi flinched and clutched at his head in pain. "Ugh..." he groaned.

"Master Naofumi, you're finally awake!"

Glancing to his side, the hero recognized his raccoon companion. Raphtalia's eyes looked tired, as if she had barely slept for days.

"Raphtalia?..." he asked. He tried to sit up, but immediately regretted it as his headache got worse. The girl pushed him back down gently with her hand before placing a damp cloth on his forehead.

"Yes, it's me. Don't move too much. You've been unconscious for three days." she explained. "And you've got this strange scar too, but I don't remember you getting it from the Chimera we fought..." she trailed off.

Naofumi traced his finger over his eye, searching for this scar she mentioned. He felt a slight indentation, but it was relatively small.

'_A scar? That seems...random. I don't remember having one...'_

After a moment of touching the deformity, an intense pain wracked his body and he cried out. The scar itself hissed as the skin around it sizzled and popped.

"Master Naofumi! Are you okay!?" Raphtalia asked, frightened.

Naofumi was quick to release his new face decoration after the pain subsided. "I'm alright...I think. I honestly don't even know what that was." he said, plainly. "Speaking of which, what exactly happened? The last thing I can remember is us all killing the Chimera then things went dark." he said.

The raccoon looked at him skeptically before responding. "What do you mean _we_ killed the Chimera? You mean you don't..." she trailed off again.

"I don't what?" he asked. She was quiet for a moment.

"You don't remember anything that happened after that?"

He shook his head in denial, and the pit in Raphtalia's stomach grew deeper. "The spear hero tried to get my attention. He said some terrible things about you."

Naofumi swung his legs over the side of the bed, flexing his fingers to regain feeling. "Is that really all that happened? That's nothing new."

She shook her head. "He accused me of being a...what was it? A whore?"

The man clenched his fists. "That bastard..!"

"You got so angry..." Raphtalia busied herself with her hands. "For the first time in a long while, you scared me. Then there was the fire..."

Naofumi's gaze softened and he sighed. "I'm sorry I scared you." he said.

She sighed. "It's okay. Just...please don't do whatever you did back there, okay? Something about that fire felt...off."

"Fire?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes. There were these dark flames that surrounded you when you got angry. The Chimera was playing dead, but when it leapt in your direction you killed it with a single blow. If it wasn't so frightening, it would have been incredibly impressive."

Naofumi thought for a few moments. _'Why would I suddenly be able to use fire? I don't know any magic yet, unless you consider my skills magical.'_ He hummed, hand on his chin. _'The only thing I have related to fire is Ifrit, but he wouldn't just light me on fire because I got mad right?'_

He shook his head. There was no way to confirm or deny it, so the only thing to do is try to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"You said I've been out for three days?" Naofumi asked, stretching his arms above his head and enjoying the popping of his joints. Sleeping for three days apparently makes your body ache.

Sensing that he wanted to avoid the topic, Raphtalia nodded "Yes. After the wave ended, I brought you back to the capital to recover. Mister Elhart was kind enough to let us stay here until you woke up."

The only thing Naofumi recognized was the blacksmith's sign hanging outside of the window. He couldn't read the script, but the hammer and anvil made it pretty obvious. He groaned and scratched his head. "I guess I owe him another one. He won't let me forget it, either."

Giggling softly, Raphtalia sat back down in the chair nearby. "He's not the only one who helped. A group of villagers were kind enough to help me bring you back here." she said. "Also, that armor is a lot heavier than it looks. You're lucky I was able to drag you halfway back to the village myself with all that weight." she joked.

"The villagers helped? Why?"

She shrugged. "I'm sure it's because you helped save their lives, Master Naofumi. You make it sound like they wouldn't be appreciative."

"I just didn't expect it, that's all." Naofumi said. "After all, I'm the 'shield demon' they hate so much.

The raccoon frowned. "Umm, Master?" she asked, not meeting his gaze.

"Yes?"

"Do they really think you raped someone?"

He sighed before holding his hand in front of his face to look at. "I was hoping you'd never hear about it, but yeah. They do think that, and it's all because of the princess."

He clenched his fist, a miniscule amount of anger seeping to the surface but he did well to push it down. "She tricked me. Accused me of rape even though I did nothing to deserve it. She basically made my life hell. On top of that, the royal knights almost killed me for 'accidentally' bumping into a nun."

"The only thing I can think of is that they hate me because I'm the shield hero. Their stupid religion hates me and that's all this is." he admitted, releasing his clenched fist with a sigh. "In the end, I think I turned out alright though. I have you, after all. Not everything is bad."

Raphtalia smiled at her master. "You're not a bad person. I don't care what they say; you wouldn't do something like that to someone. I trust you." she answered.

Somewhere deep down inside, he felt one of the walls around his heart crumble to pieces. _'Raphtalia really trusts me so much? She's not even suspicious?...'_ As he saw her smile at him with her tail wagging happily behind her, his face softened into a smile. _'If she's willing to stand by my side, then...I suppose I can trust her.'_

He patted her head which caused her to pout childishly. "Thanks. That...really means a lot to me."

Slowly, he pushed himself out of bed and began walking around. Raphtalia examined him carefully. "Are you sure you're alright to stand up? You've been asleep for three days."

"I feel fine, actually. As long as I don't touch the scar, it doesn't hurt." Naofumi looked to the corner of the room where a mannequin was set up. His armor was proudly displayed upon its body and it looked spotless. "Hey, did you clean this?" he asked, pointing a thumb at the armor.

Going slightly red, Raphtalia's tail flicked back and forth nervously. "Y-yes... We had to take it off when we got you back here. Rather than let it sit on the floor, I asked Mister Elhart if we could set it up somewhere. It was covered in blood and dirt, so I cleaned it to pass the time while you were asleep."

The hero found himself smiling at her embarrassed expression. "Well you must be a natural at it. It looks brand new." he said, deepening the girl's blush. He stood up and stretched. "Alright. Now that I'm back on my feet, let's get some food. I'm starving."

Her stomach growled in response. "Yes, I think that's a good plan."

Raphtalia watched as her master donned his armor one piece at a time before they went downstairs. The duo arrived at the storefront where a familiar blacksmith stood behind the counter.

"Ah, I see our sleeping savior is awake." Elhart said, crossing his arms with a smile.

"I almost don't want to leave."

"Ha! Unless you start working at my store, you don't get to sleep here for free."

"Thanks for letting us stay here."

Elhart shook his head. "Forget it kid. Not only are you two my favorite customers, but you also saved a whole village from the wave. Even if you weren't there, you would have done more good than the so-called _royal knights_." He scoffed. "What a damn joke. They destroyed almost as much of this village as the monsters did."

Raphtalia grit her teeth in frustration. "I can't believe they would attack us like that in the middle of the wave..!"

Her master put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "Don't worry too much about them. I'm not planning on sticking around here much longer now that the wave is over. They can deal with the waves on their own."

Elhart smiled. "Heading to Siltvelt, eh?"

"Yeah. Anywhere is better than here."

The blacksmith shrugged. "Can't say I blame you for wanting to leave. The crown hasn't exactly done a lot to help you out since they brought you here, but I'm sure Siltvelt will be better."

"Why Siltvelt?" Raphtalia asked, head cocked to the side.

Naofumi turned to her. "First, to get away from the piece of trash king and princess. Second, it gives us a chance to meet people who will actually want to help us."

"I suppose that makes sense." She nodded before changing subjects. "Mister Elhart, what do you think of Master Naofumi's new scar?"

"It's not normal, that's for sure. You didn't have it when we brought you in here, and I don't recall any assassins breaking into my house to kill you. Plus...it's jet black. Normal scars don't look like that."

Naofumi carefully traced the area around the scar, careful not to touch it directly.. "Does it really look that bad?" he asked. For once, he was actually a little concerned about his appearance.

"Who said it looked bad? I said it looked unnatural, that's all." the blacksmith replied. "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll take a lot more than that to scare your woman here away." He snickered, jabbing a thumb toward the blushing raccoon.

"I-I'm not his-" she sputtered, waving her hands in front of her in denial. Elhart laughed openly at her, earning a pout and crossed arms from the girl. "You're the worst." she said, only making him laugh harder.

Sighing at their antics, Naofumi crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "So what did I miss these past few days? I'm sure something happened." he asked.

Elhart and Raphtalia shared a look before both turning their gazes toward him. "The King apparently held some kind of big celebration for the heroes in the castle. I heard it was quite something." she said, her tone wistful. "I'm sure you would have been invited as well, but..."

"I know. I was unconscious the whole time. It's no big loss, really. There would just be a bunch of nobles putting up masks and pretending to be friendly to each other." Naofumi responded with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm sure the food was delicious..." Raphtalia bemoaned.

With a sigh, the hero patted her on the head. "Before we leave, I'll buy a few necessities and ingredients. I promise I'll cook you a good meal along the way."

Her face lit up as she smiled brightly. "Okay! I look forward to seeing how good it tastes, but I'm sure it'll be great!"

"You just have her wrapped around your finger, huh kid?" Elhart leaned against his palm on the counter, smiling at the pair. Naofumi raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

He sighed. "Nothing. Just forget it."

Raphtalia reached behind her and pulled out a pouch. "By the way Master, some woman in black clothing handed this to me yesterday. She said it was your share of the reward for helping the kingdom with the wave." she said, shaking the wallet and jingling the coins inside.

Perplexed, Naofumi grabbed the pouch and marveled at its weight. "This has to be over 300 silvers at least. Maybe there's some people in Melromarc who like us after all." he mused.

He pulled out 30 silvers and placed them on the counter in front of Elhart. "This is for letting us stay here, and don't even think about saying no. We owe you for room and board, but now we're even."

Sighing, the blacksmith pocketed the coins. "You have to make everything sound like a business transaction, don't you? Ever heard of a favor for a favor?"

"I prefer to pay my debts in cash. Less room to be swindled."

"Ha! True that."

Raphtalia sweatdropped. "You can trust him, Master Naofumi. Mister Elhart hasn't done anything bad to us before."

"Give him time."

She groaned. "You're unbelievable..."

The dark haired man pushed off the wall. "Well, we need to get going. We can't afford to sit around all day, especially if we missed out on 3 days worth of training." he said.

Elhart snapped his fingers. "Ah I almost forgot! Raphtalia here took a few pieces of that Chimera and those undead before she got you here. They smell absolutely awful, but she asked me to hang onto them for you."

Naofumi turned to his companion and she nodded. "The other heroes took the majority of it before I got back from carrying you here, so there isn't much."

"That was good thinking. I knew I kept you around for a reason."

"You're so mean."

The two followed the older man to the basement where metal, leather, and other materials were held. A rancid stench assaulted his nose as they descended into the cellar, making him gag. "Oh Gods above, it smells worse than the inn toilets." he said, pinching his nose.

It didn't help. The stench was _everywhere_.

Elhart pulled a cloth off of a large pile which revealed the remains. An undead hand with half of its flesh rotted off and bones protruding from the skin was the first object. The severed head of the Chimera's snake tail lay on top, its glowing eyes sightless. The rest of the pile looked like chunks of meat and bones.

Naofumi reached down to pick up the bony hand, but as he did-

"AH!" he screamed and waved his arm, trying to get the hand to stop holding his wrist in a vice grip. After tearing it off with his other hand, he forced it into his shield. It crumbled into dust before vanishing.

It unlocked two shields called the **Undead Bone Shield **and **Undead Meat Shield**. They both gave a modest amount of defense, but their main advantage was giving him a small resistance to diseases and poison. He hoped he wouldn't have to worry about those kinds of things at all, but he could never be too careful.

"Holy hell, I didn't think they'd still be able to move." he said, calming his racing heartbeat. Raphtalia giggled from behind him, but was just as shocked as her master was.

"Better you than me, kid."

"Shut it, old man."

He did the same with some of the miscellaneous meat and bones, unlocking a variety of different shields. Finally, he allowed the viper head to be absorbed to unlock some of the best shields he had so far.

**Chimera Meat Shield: conditions met**

**Chimera Bone Shield: conditions met**

**Chimera Leather Shield: conditions met**

**Chimera Viper Shield: conditions met**

**Chimera Meat Shield: ability locked**

**Equip bonus: cooking quality improvement**

**Chimera Bone Shield: ability locked**

**Equip bonus: shadow resistance (medium)**

**Chimera Leather Shield: ability locked**

**Equip bonus: defense 10**

Then finally, the last of the bunch was easily the strongest shield he had.

**Chimera Viper Shield: ability locked**

**Equip bonus: skill: Change Shield, Antidote Compounding Up, Poison Resistance (medium)**

**Special Effect: Snake Venom Fang (medium), Hook**

**Snake Venom Fang** would apparently stretch the snakes that wound around the shield and bite his target, poisoning them. However, he needed to be at a higher level in order to use any of these shields, so for now they were just something to look forward to later.

After finishing his business in the cellar, Naofumi rushed upstairs to get some fresh air in his lungs. Followed quickly by the others, they coughed and did their best to hold whatever food was in their stomachs.

"Ugh, that's disgusting."

"At least you're putting the stuff to good use. Thank your girl here for saving it."

Raphtalia blushed again. "I-I'm not his girl!"

Elhart merely laughed at her as Naofumi rolled his eyes. "I appreciate you keeping those for us."

Elhart took his place behind the counter once again. "No problem kid. It'll probably smell awful down there for awhile, but I'm sure it'll go away one way or another." he said, waving his hand at them. "You two had better get going. I may have customers coming in soon and I can't afford to have any loiterers." he joked.

"Bye Mister Elhart! Thanks again for letting us stay here!" Raphtalia said, waving her hand back as they exited. She shut the door behind her and turned to her master. "Master Naofumi, what kind of errands did you plan for us today?"

He put his hands behind his head lazily as he walked slowly. "From what you told me, I used some kind of fire before. If that was magic, I figure it may be worth learning."

"Magic? I agree that it could be useful, but I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Anything that makes our lives easier is worth looking into. May as well do it now rather than later." he said.

"I suppose so."

Wandering without a real direction in mind, Naofumi was lost in thought. _'Still, what was up with that fire she mentioned? Does Ifrit have more of an impact over me than I thought? Dammit, if only I could talk to him again!'_

Raphtalia giggled at his thinking face. He stopped when he heard her, turning to see her smile. "What?" he asked.

"You're just so serious most of the time. Your thinking face looks a little funny." She winked at him.

"Really?"

"Yes. It makes you seem a little more childish. It's nice."

"Coming from the one who was actually a child only a month ago, I should be offended." He smirked back at her.

Raphtalia laughed out loud. "Ha! Maybe, but I like it."

"Anyway, do you see anything that looks like a magic shop?"

"Hmm..." Raphtalia hummed as she looked around. Suddenly, she pointed a finger forward. "I think that could be promising."

The sign she was pointing to had a wizard's hat with a book behind it. Naofumi couldn't read the sign itself, but the picture was enough to at least give him hope. As the two entered, they were met with row after row of books, parchment, inks, and other unusual reagents. The items lined the various shelves with little to no space in between.

"Welcome! How can I-" a middle-aged woman began, but stopped as she recognized her customers, "Oh it's you! Welcome, shield hero!"

Naofumi and Raphtalia shared a quick glance before making their way to the counter. She wore purple robes and a hat with a crooked tip. _'Just like a stereotypical witch from the stories. Who would have thought?'_ Naofumi thought absentmindedly.

"I don't think we've met, but you seem to know who we are." the hero noted with caution.

"Of course! If it weren't for your help, my daughter might not have survived the wave." she said. Raphtalia saw her master's nervous expression and decided to speak.

"Forgive us for being cautious. We're...not very well-liked around here." she said, noticing Naofumi's expression relax once more. Proud of herself, she flashed him a small smile which he returned.

The witch waved them off. "I'll admit that I wasn't too fond of you before, but you've proven that you're not the demon they made you out to be. You're always welcome here."

Naofumi didn't know how to respond, so he opted to keep it short and simple. "Thanks."

The woman shook her head. "Anyway, is there something I can help you two with?" she asked.

"We're looking to learn some magic, but we don't know where to start." The woman's smile grew, if that was possible.

"Ah, you want to learn the basics of magic? It takes quite a bit of study to grasp the fundamentals, but once you get the hang of it, the rest comes naturally." she explained.

She reached below the counter and retrieved a large crystal orb, which was so shiny it allowed Naofumi to get his first real look at his face ever since he had woken up. He peered into the orb, trailing a finger across the surface of his scar. He flinched a bit as the pain flared up.

'_It really is pure black...that's so strange.'_

"First things first, let's check to see what magical affinities you two have. Everyone has two elements that they're capable of using." The woman motioned to the crystal ball. "Just place your hand on it and relax. The ball will do the rest."

Raphtalia, with a motion from her master,went first. She gently placed her hand upon its surface and took a deep breath while closing her eyes. The surface of the orb warmed and hummed softly before cooling. Opening her eyes, she noticed the orb was dark with a small ball of light inside.

"Ah, it seems you have light and dark magic affinities. With a bit of creativity, these can be extremely useful." the witch explained, grabbing a book off a nearby shelf and handing it to the raccoon. "One of the first spells you'll want to learn is called **First Hiding**. For all intents and purposes, it can render you invisible for a short time."

Naofumi hummed and nodded. "That does sound pretty useful. If I have something's attention, that makes it easier for you to sneak up and get a good hit to finish it off."

Raphtalia nodded, taking the book with a small bow. "I'll be sure to try extra hard, then."

"Now I believe it's your turn, shield hero." she said. Naofumi merely shrugged and placed his hand upon the orb. A bright light emanated from the orb, heating up his hand. The brightness lessened until he could clearly see a mix of green and white intermingling within the orb.

"You seem to have healing and support affinities."

He raised an eyebrow. "What's the difference?"

The witch answered as she moved to a specific shelf to grab a book. "Healing is exactly how it sounds. Spells like **First Heal **can heal someone's wounds. Support is a little more broad, since it encompasses a variety of spells that make someone stronger. **First Guard** is a spell that raises a target's defense, and it's probably the first spell you'll grasp in that category."

Naofumi groaned. "So even with magic, I still can't really attack worth a damn."

"That's not entirely true."

His head shot up in surprise. Raphtalia's ears flicked once. "Why do you say that?"

The witch smiled as she handed the book over to the hero. "Believe it or not, healing magic also includes a spell called **Decay**. On its own, all it really does is slow the healing of a target's wounds by decaying the cells. It's really just healing magic, but in reverse."

Naofumi hummed in thought. _'Now how could I use that to my advantage? In a fast-paced battle, a spell like that isn't going to do very much.'_ He pondered for a few moments before an idea came to him. _'Didn't Ifrit mention some kind of boost?'_

Ignoring the curious glances of the two women, he searched his help menu until he found it.

**Energy Boost: Allows the user to boost the effectiveness of skills and abilities using energy.**

'_But what is this 'energy' it's talking about? Ifrit didn't explain it at all. He just said I wouldn't understand it at first. If I can figure it out, maybe I could enhance the spell to work on a much larger scale?'_

"Master Naofumi, what are you thinking about?"

He shook his head and came back to reality. "Nothing, Raphtalia. Just trying to think of ways to make it useful."

"Well you have plenty of time to learn and practice. Is there anything else you need?" the shop owner asked.

The hero opened up the book and blanched. "Actually...do you have something that can help me learn to read?"

The woman gave him an incredulous look. "You can't read?"

He grumbled, looking away. "No."

Raphtalia's tail flicked back and forth. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask that too. How can you speak the language so well but not read?"

"The shield translates everything for me when people talk, but it doesn't do anything for written language."

"Wow...That's so amazing! I'm not an expert, but my parents taught me some of it when I was younger. I think I remember most of it."

The witch pulled what appeared to be a children's book out from underneath the counter. Skimming through, Naofumi could tell that it was intended for teaching kids how to read.

'_This is so annoying. Why can't the shield just translate words for me too?'_

"This book should help you learn the basics. As I'm sure you can see, it's meant for kids. But it should be good enough to get you by."

Naofumi turned to his companion. "I'll probably need your help, then."

"Of course!" The raccoon's smile was blinding. Her tail wagged happily behind her.

He turned back to the witch. "So,how much for all of these?"

The owner of the store waved her hand dismissively. "Oh nonsense! You saved my daughter's life. I couldn't possibly charge you for these. Consider them a thank-you gift." she urged.

Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, Naofumi sighed. "Fine then. Thanks."

As they left, the witch waved at them. "Be safe, hero! Come again soon!"

'_If I ever come back to this city by choice, I may need to get my head checked for damage.' _he thought with a light scoff.

The pair walked down the street, ignoring the occasional threat or glare. Ever since the wave, Naofumi noted that people were a bit less open about their hatred of him. Not that he really cared, to be honest, but it was noteworthy.

"So what now, Master Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked, bouncing a bit as she walked in front of him and smiled back.

He thought for a moment. "Well I would like to get started on learning the language. Even if it's just healing and support magic, I can't deny that I'm a little excited."

"I am too! Hopefully I'll be a decent teacher for you."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Let's find somewhere quiet where we can focus."

They ended up walking to a less populated area of the city. It wasn't quite the slums, but there were definitely fewer people wandering around even in the middle of the day. Naofumi and Raphtalia took a seat on a bench and pulled out the reading book.

His eye twitched every time he looked at it.

"Alright, so let's start with the first group of characters-" Raphtalia began. Naofumi sighed, resigning himself to his fate of learning a foreign language from someone half his age. And using a children's book, no less!

Somewhere within the next hour, the two had scooted closer together. Raphtalia did her best to ignore the fact that their legs were touching, but it was even harder to ignore the sensation in her chest.

'_He's so close that I can practically smell him.'_ she thought as he read out another page to the best of his ability. _'It's so strange to be the one teaching him. He's still my master and I'm still his slave, but he doesn't make it feel that way. It's...nice. It really feels like we're equals, just like he said all those weeks ago.'_

They didn't get much more time to themselves before a group of royal knights arrived and crowded around them. When the sun on the page was blocked, Naofumi looked up at them. He recognized the one in front as the man who attacked them during the wave. He wasn't hard to miss with a mustache as curly and gross as his.

"Shield hero! There you are!" he announced.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" Naofumi responded, holding up the children's book for them to see.

"Ha! A hero, learning from a kid's picture book? How low have you fallen?"

"Leave him alone! He's trying to learn so he can use magic!" Raphtalia cried in his defense.

"Magic? Ha! As if a demon like him needs magic! He can already use fire like it's second nature!" the knight said.

"Do you have a reason to piss me off, or is this your idea of fun?" Naofumi asked with a glare.

"You've been summoned to the royal courtroom where you will face multiple charges. Your trial begins immediately." The knights all put their hands on their sheathed weapons, prepared to fight.

The hero gently closed the book, handed it to his companion and stood. Although the knight was nearly half a foot shorter than the Hero, the man was unfazed. His face appeared calm, but Raphtalia could see the rage in the way he stood. His hands were hidden underneath his cloak, and his shoulders trembled in anger slightly.

"Why should I believe anything you say? I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to drag me into an alley and try to kill me."

"Such a baseless claim. The royal knights are the direct protectors of the crown!"

"A crown for pigs, apparently."

"How dare you! You dare say such blasphemy against our king!? If you weren't a hero you would have been rightfully killed long ago!" The knight snapped his fingers.

"Men, get them."

Suddenly, Raphtalia's ears twitched. She jumped from her seat and grabbed her sword as a group of assassins pinned her master to the ground, daggers to his throat and prepped to kill. The smug knight knelt down, grasping her master's hair in his hand and bringing his angry face to see eye to eye with his own.

"You're coming with us whether you want to or not, demon. You'll have plenty of time to think about your crimes while you're rotting in a jail cell." he said, slamming Naofumi's face into the gravel beneath their feet. However, because of his high defense, the blow barely hurt.

Raphtalia was terrified, but held her sword steady at the attackers. "I won't let you take him!"

"Raphtalia, leave it alone." her master said calmly.

"But-!"

"Just relax." His expression was a lot more subdued than she expected, and it threw her off. "They can't kill me because I'm a hero. Let's just deal with this."

"That's right, put away the weapon. Filthy demi-humans like you shouldn't threaten a royal knight." the captain said with a smirk. Her fist tightened around the hilt of her sword, but she relaxed.

Naofumi breathed a sigh of relief. _'They might not be able to kill me, but they can take her away. Or worse, they could kill her. If they do that, I kill everyone and then myself.'_

They were chained and dragged through the streets until they reached the castle. Once inside, they were roughly thrown onto the lush carpet of the throne room.

Naofumi noted that he was getting a little too familiar with this carpet.

The king's authoritative voice broke the silence. "Shield hero, you stand accused of assault against a royal knight, owning a slave illegally, and an attempted assault of another hero. What do you have to say in your defense?"

"Oh yeah? You're actually willing to listen this time?" Naofumi scoffed. "What load of crap. Let me leave."

There was practically no audience of nobles this time. The only people of note were Motoyasu and the red haired princess.

"I'm giving you a chance to explain yourself! If you wish to waste your opportunity, so be it." The king was not amused.

"The assault against the knight was in self-defense. He and his group attacked Lute Village during the wave in an attempt to kill me."

"That's preposterous! My knights were stationed nowhere near Lute Village! Their orders were to support the heroes, including yourself if needed to protect civilians!"

"They're the ones who should be on trial for disregard for the lives of the villagers and damage to the village itself. A fire spell in the center of town isn't exactly what I'd call 'protecting the civilians'." he said, rolling his eyes.

"In addition, I never actually attacked Motoyasu. I threatened to, but I never did."

"Is this true, Spear Hero?" the king asked.

"Well, yes but-"

"The shield hero used some strange power that was undoubtedly evil!" Malty announced. "I saw murder in his eyes! If it weren't for his demi-human slave, we would be dead!"

"That's a lie and you know it!" Naofumi shouted.

"Silence! This court will have order!" Aultcray slammed his cane into the ground, creating a loud noise that stopped the altercation.

Naofumi nodded his head toward Raphtalia. "And finally, what's wrong with me owning a slave? It's legal here in Melromarc, if I remember correctly."

"Only nobles are permitted to own slaves without restrictions. If anyone could own a slave, it would devolve into chaos within months."

"Plus, it's just wrong!" Motoyasu yelled. "We're not from this world, Naofumi! You can't just _own_ someone like that!"

"Don't be naive! Have you ever heard the saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'? This is exactly the same way. It's perfectly normal here."

"But still! How could you force Raphtalia to do your bidding!?"

"He doesn't do that!" the raccoon yelled in his defense. "Master Naofumi is always kind and caring! He's never once forced me to anything against my wishes!"

"Lies!" Malty screeched. "The shield hero must have brainwashed her! Or he's forcing her to say those things!"

"That's so ridiculous! If I had a shield that could brainwash people, I could just use it on all of you and get out of here!"

Naofumi wriggled on the expensive carpet in front of him so he was sitting upright, still bound. "Besides, there's no law saying only nobles can own slaves! Otherwise, shady little men wouldn't be selling them in the center of town. You're flat out lying."

"How dare you! Papa is a fair and just king!" Malty yelled, flushed red with anger.

"Even if he _wasn't_ lying, I would have been told about any restrictions by the slave trader when I bought her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have any return customers. That's bad for business."

"Perhaps. Because you're a hero, I suppose I can ignore that last offense." the king said with a deep sigh.

"But Papa!" Malty cried. "How could you take his side on this!?"

"Malty, dear, calm yourself. The shield hero may not be proven guilty of all of the charges against him, but it is enough to raise suspicion. I propose that-"

"Your majesty, can I offer a solution?"

Aultcray raised an eyebrow as Motoyasu spoke. "Why yes you may, spear hero. What do you propose?"

The blond man pointed a finger at Naofumi. "I say the two of us duel! If you win, you're innocent. If I win, you're guilty and you let Raphtalia go free!"

"Those terms are so unequal that I'd be an idiot to accept them." the shield hero rolled his eyes. "What is your punishment, _Your Majesty?"_

"The accused doesn't get to choose his punishment! You _will_ accept the duel or you'll be guilty by default!" Aultcray said with a glare.

Naofumi let out a deep sigh. "Fine. I guess I don't have any other choice."

"But Master Naofumi-!"

"It'll be alright, Raphtalia. Do you trust me?" he asked, flashing a quick smile at her. She nodded, but failed to return it.

"Yes...I do. Please be careful."

"When am I not?"

Only minutes later, Naofumi and Motoyasu stood across from each other in the courtyard. The area was cleared aside from a small group of spectators on the second and third floors that could see down into the courtyard.

"This is a duel between the shield hero and the spear hero. Should the shield hero win, he is considered innocent of his recent crimes. Should he lose, he is guilty and will forfeit his possessions including his slave. I, the king, declare it legitimate and binding!" Aultcray announced. There weren't many people to hear it, but the nobles who could let out a cheer.

Down in the makeshift arena, Naofumi shook himself to loosen up. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. The blond man on the other end looked ready for battle.

"Of course I am. What you're doing can only be described as evil! I mean, who could possibly enslave such a pretty girl!?"

The shield hero sweatdropped. "_That's_ what this is all about?" He looked up toward where the king was seated. Raphtalia was still handcuffed, with guards stationed around her. "I get that she's cute and all, but don't you think this is going a bit far?"

Up in the stands, the raccoon blushed.

"Not at all!" Motoyasu shouted. "It's my duty as a hero to protect everyone! Especially pretty maidens!"

"Get help." Naofumi facepalmed.

"BEGIN!" Aultcray yelled, and the spear hero immediately rushed into battle.

"I'll protect her from you!" he said as he thrust his weapon forward. Naofumi blocked it with his shield, and the two pressed against one another.

"She doesn't need your help! Just ask her!"

He shoved Motoyasu backward and swiped his sword at him. The man blocked it easily, knocking Naofumi off balance.

"You're wide open!" Motoyasu's weapon glowed a bright red before a massive horde of spears appeared behind him. **"Chaos Spear!"** he yelled, and the spectral weapons flew toward Naofumi.

"**Air Strike Shield!"** With a cry, the green shield appeared and blocked a majority of the spears. A few slipped past, but they weren't large enough to hit him. "Don't think I'm going down so easily, Motoyasu! The moment you failed to break through my guard, you lost!"

"We'll see about that! **Air Strike Javelin!**"

A green clone of his spear slammed into Naofumi's shield, knocking his shield arm away. His only option to block the blond's follow-up strike was to deflect it with his sword. However, unlike the Holy Weapons, his sword was _not_ attached to his arm like glue.

With a roar, Motoyasu flourished and swiped his weapon upward. This threw Naofumi's sword high into the air, landing in the dirt off to the side. "You're finished, Naofumi! I don't know how you're able to use a weapon besides the shield, but it doesn't matter! You can't win!"

"It's not over until one of us is on the ground!"

"Then I'll put you there myself! Haaaaaaa!" Motoyasu charged once again, stabbing multiple times. They are all blocked by Naofumi, who was having no trouble defending himself now that he wasn't focused at all on attacking.

'_I have to create an opening, then I can get my sword! Unless...'_ An idea came to him and he smirked. _'Maybe it's time to play the status effect game.'_

He swapped to the **Bee Needle Shield**, which he had gotten long ago. It wasn't noteworthy aside from its special effect, which allowed him to paralyze an opponent. The paralysis wasn't very strong, but it would slow him down enough to be useful.

"You want to save Raphtalia, right!?" he shouted, grabbing the spear wielder's attention.

"Yes! And the only way to save her is for you to set her free!" 

"You know what they'll do to her if I let her go, right? They'll either throw her back into slavery with a much worse master, or they'll kill her on the spot!"

Motoyasu shook his head. "No way! The king and Myne aren't evil like that! They'd never let that happen, especially if I protected her!"

"I know I can't convince you at this point, but just know that they absolutely would do that without a second thought."

"Lies! I won't listen to your lies any longer, Naofumi!" He swiped his spear, striking Naofumi's shield. As soon as he did, a huge shock ran through his body. "W-what the-"

"You're open! **Snake Venom Fang!**" Naofumi quickly changed to the **Chimera Viper Shield** and used its ability. The two golden snakes stretched and bit down onto Motoyasu's collarbone with a loud hiss.

"Agh! Wh-what's going on!? I feel so...weak..!"

The man struggled to move, giving Naofumi time to retrieve his sword. "You're paralyzed and poisoned right now. Be careful, moving too much makes the poison worse. Or so I've heard."

"Who the hell have you tried this on to know that!? Was it Raphtalia!? You're a monster!"

Naofumi slammed his sword's hilt into Motoyasu's face. It wasn't enough to break his nose, but it definitely hurt. "Chill out, would you? I have never once hurt Raphtalia, and I never plan to. I need her alive, and I care about her too much to do something like that."

"D-don't try to lie your way out of this!"

The shield hero shook his head. "Listen. This duel is over. You can barely move and you're poisoned. I have enough SP to use both of those skills at least three more times each. I could smack you around with this crappy little sword that whole time."

"I...won't give...up..!" Motoyasu grit his teeth as he forced his limbs to move. He managed a weak swipe at his opponent, but Naofumi effortlessly knocked it away.

"You're done, Motoyasu. Yield."

"N-never!"

"Fine. Then I guess I'll have to knock you out to prove my point." He raised his weapon and stabbed it through the man's shoulder, but it did little more than puncture his armor. There wasn't even any blood from the wound. "If there's one thing I respect about you, it's your persistence."

He continued smacking the hero and reapplying his status ailments as they began to wear off. Motoyasu was practically helpless to fight back, and the audience members were whispering amongst themselves about how strong the shield demon was. Naofumi was about to bring his weapon down once more.

"MASTER NAOFUMI, LOOK OUT!"

The man noticed something shine in the corner of his eyes, and he raised his shield to block the incoming attack. A large blast of wind nearly swept him off of his feet, but he managed to recover. As he lowered his shield, he clearly saw Malty S Melromarc with her hand outstretched. She wore an angry expression, and Naofumi saw red.

"Hey! That's cheating!" he yelled, pointing at her. "Did anyone else see that!?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't see anything! Stop trying to distract me, you coward!" Motoyasu said as he recovered, charging forward and stabbing Naofumi in the chest. His defense was too high for it to penetrate, so the blow did little damage.

"I'm not lying! She clearly used magic to blow me away! If Raphtalia hadn't screamed, I wouldn't have even seen it!" His eyes were wide as he saw the raccoon being silenced with a cloth in her mouth and dragged away. "Raphtalia! Let her go, you bastards!"

"Silence! The duel is still going on!" Aultcray boomed from his spot in the crowd.

Naofumi clenched his fists. _'They're not even going to honor the terms of the duel!? Then why the hell should I!?'_

"Alright, Motoyasu. Listen closely, because I'm only telling you this once." he said, slowly walking toward his opponent. "You know how you have a method of powering up your weapon, right?"

"Of course, but stop trying to change the subject! I'm not telling you anything about it!"

Naofumi shook his head. "I don't care. I'm telling you mine as a sign of goodwill, and I hope that you'll understand that I'm not a bad person." Without even giving the man a chance to respond, he continued. "My shield gets stronger if I trust people wholeheartedly, and we both get even stronger if they trust me in return. That's why your weapon can't break my shield. I trust Raphtalia more than you think, and she trusts me even more than that."

"That's...that's a lie! What kind of stupid power up method is that!? There's nothing like that in Emerald Online!" Motoyasu yelled, but he had ceased attacking for now. Naofumi shook his head.

"If you're going to think of it like a game, think of it like - god I can't believe I'm saying this - think of it like an otome game."

"Ooooo those were my favorites!"

"Shut up! Nobody asked you! You know how you get people to like you, right?"

"Uh, _duh?_ That's like, the whole point of - HEY! Don't get me off-subject! What's that got to do with anything!?" Motoyasu yelled, pointing his spear in Naofumi's direction.

'_Why is he suddenly so easy to talk to when I bring up otome games? What a weird guy.'_

"My power up method is _literally that!_ The more people in my party that like me, the more powerful both of us get! The higher their relationship points are, the more powerful we both are!"

"Oooohhhhh, I get it now!" Motoyasu relaxed and smiled. "But that only works for your shield, not for my spear!"

"That's actually not true. The main power up method of the shield is to share power up methods between the heroes. Check your stats right now. They've probably gone up." As Motoyasu quickly searched through his menu, the crowd was growing restless.

"Lord Motoyasu, don't listen to him! The shield hero is lying to you!" Malty cried, still on the sidelines of the arena. Motoyasu held up a finger.

"Hold on, Myne...he's right...He's actually right! My stats are practically twice as high as they were a minute ago!" The spear hero swiped his spear at Naofumi, knocking him off of his feet and sending him flying backward. "Hahaha! I feel so strong! You really weren't lying, Naofumi!"

"Urgh..._now_ you believe me?" the shield hero groaned, picking himself off the ground. "Now if you tell me yours, we both get stronger."

"Okay! Mine is that the more you use one weapon form, the stronger it gets! Easy, right?"

"I suppose..."

"Lord Motoyasu, don't tell him anything! He's just tricking you!" Malty screamed.

"But I just saw-"

"He's brainwashing you, be careful!"

"At least let me return the favor! He's making me stronger, so it can't be all bad, right?" Motoyasu said. Without waiting for a response, he explained his other method to Naofumi. "The other is Smelting! Basically, as long as you have ore you can upgrade a specific weapon form! It has a chance of failing that increases the more you upgrade a weapon type."

Naofumi thought for a moment, hand on his chin. _'So basically I could use all of that ore I found in the mine to make my weapon forms stronger? Interesting...'_

"Anyway, it's time for us to finish this fight! Get ready, Naofumi! I'm not going to hold back!" Motoyasu spun his spear in an exaggerated motion, showing off.

"Fine."

The battle raged for a short time. Motoyasu's strikes were undoubtedly more powerful than before, but Naofumi's defense had also increased by a considerable amount. After a particularly strong blow, Naofumi managed to duck underneath the follow up strike.

"**Shield Prison!"**

A cage of shields appeared around Motoyasu. He tried swiping his weapon at it, but there wasn't enough room for his spear to get any room. Naofumi combined the **Bee Needle Shield**'s ability to create spikes on the inside of the cage, stabbing Motoyasu and paralyzing him.

The cage vanished and Naofumi reapplied the poison using his **Snake Venom Fang**. The spear hero grunted as he slowly fell to his knees while panting. Naofumi held his sword at Motoyasu's head.

"The fight's over, for real this time." he said with a soft tone. "The only reason I can defend myself from your attacks is because I trust Raphtalia, and she trusts me too. Without that, you'd probably kick my ass."

Motoyasu tried to stand up, but fell onto his stomach in defeat. "Yeah...I've got nothing left in me. Just...promise me something."

"I promise nothing."

"Take care of her, okay? If you have to have her as a slave, just be nice to her. She's too pretty to be a real slave."

Naofumi sighed. "Fine. She's practically my daughter anyway."

Silence reigned in the arena until the king stood from his throne. "The shield hero is victorious, and he is cleared of all charges. Bring the demi-human back out here." he ordered. Within seconds, the knights released Raphtalia.

The second she was free, she leapt over the railing and sprinted toward her master. "Master Naofumi!" she yelled, tackling him in a hug that knocked him over. "Thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried!"

He gently patted her on the head as she laid on top of him. "I know. I was a little scared too. Once they started pulling you away, I almost lost it."

Motoyasu, now recovered from his status ailments, watched the two with curious eyes. Before he had much time to ponder their relationship(?), Malty ran up and grabbed his arm.

"Come on, Lord Motoyasu! Let's go get stronger tonight so something like this doesn't happen again!" she pleaded, tugging him toward the courtyard's exit.

He spared one more glance at Naofumi. He was currently chuckling with Raphtalia as they laughed about something he couldn't hear. "Yeah, let's go! I want to see how much stronger I am thanks to Naofumi!"

Although she grumbled about _why_ the two of them were suddenly so much stronger, Malty didn't complain much on their trip to the forest to train.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Naofumi asked as he stood up.

Raphtalia shook her head. "They didn't hurt me or anything, but..." she looked down sadly, unbuttoning the top of her blouse and pulling it apart to show some of her cleavage. "They...erased my slave mark."

Naofumi blinked. "Now that you mention it, I didn't even notice you were gone."

She slapped his arm. "Don't be mean, Master Naofumi! I want it back!"

"You _what?"_ he asked incredulously. "You want to be my slave _again?_ Why?"

Raphtalia grabbed his hand, holding it between both of hers. "Because, I know how hard it is for you to trust people. If I need a slave mark to make sure you can always trust me, then so be it."

He shook his head. "At this point, the fact that you're willing to get it put back on tells me I can trust you."

"But I..." she trailed off with a dark blush, mumbling the rest of her sentence.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you. Speak up."

"I said I kind of like being yours!" she shouted in his face, face becoming redder by the second. Naofumi was speechless as she fidgeted in place.

"...You're so weird."

"Master Naofumi!"

He chuckled. "Alright, we'll get it put back on so you keep getting the bonuses from my **Slave User Shield**. Just know that we have to visit the creepy midget again." he said, turning to leave.

"It's worth it, as long as I get to be with you forever."

"Weirdo."

She slapped him in the face for that one.

After a short walk in the evening sun, the two made their way back into the city. They were both exhausted, hungry, and sleepy. As they passed by a familiar sign, the witch was blowing out the lamp outside of her store..

"Oh, it's you two! What a surprise!" the woman exclaimed, grabbing their attention.

"Oh, hello ma'am. Closing up for tonight?" Raphtalia asked, tiredly. The owner nodded.

"Yes, but I heard what had happened today. Are you both alright?" she asked with a worried look on her face.

Naofumi rolled his neck to relieve the tension. "Yeah we're alright for the most part. A little annoyed and a little vindicated at the same time." he said.

"That's great to hear, but I heard the commotion outside when those knights were taking you away. I saw that you had dropped this, so I wanted to make sure you got it back." She reached inside the door and grabbed a familiar book before holding it out for them to see.

Looking at the cover, Naofumi recognized it as their children's reading book. _'Never in my life did I think I'd be so happy to see a kid's picture book...'_ Naofumi thought with a sweatdrop.

Thanking her profusely and promising to return again some day, the pair made their way to the only place left on their list for the night: the slave tent.

Finding it with little difficulty, the pair entered through the main flap. The sights and sounds dug up even more painful memories for the raccoon, who had been so used to this being her entire existence for quite some time. Placing his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, Naofumi spoke. "It's okay, I'm here with you this time." She leaned into his touch and smiled appreciatively.

"I know."

A short, mustachioed man approached. "Ah, if it isn't my favorite hero! Come for another slave? Or other merchandise perhaps?" Beloukas asked, smiling creepily before his eyes bulged.

"And you my dear, you've grown into quite the hot product, yes sir!" She blushed and covered herself with her arms, despite already having plenty of clothing on.

"E-excuse you!"

The slaver turned toward the Hero. "My good man, I will pay you handsomely for her! 15, no, 20 gold pieces even if she isn't a virgin!"

Naofumi was shocked. Raphtalia was insulted.

"I am a virgin!" she complained, and her tail puffed up in anger. The man held up three fingers.

"30 gold pieces, yes sir!" He desperately wanted to purchase his old slave back.

'_I would never sell her back to this guy, but damn. 30 gold pieces is more than he was asking for some of his most expensive fighter slaves.'_ he thought, before deciding to play a small prank on his partner.

"Hmm..." he said, mimicking the slaver's creepy smile. "30 gold pieces is a bit low, don't you think?" Raphtalia's jaw dropped as she stared at her master, flabbergasted.

"Master Naofu-"

"40 gold pieces then! She is in prime condition after all!" the short man begged.

The hero scratched his chin, appearing to contemplate the offer heavily as Raphtalia began to sweat. Then he shook his head. "I'm afraid I'll have to think about it some more. I've put a lot of effort into her, you know."

He smirked at Raphtalia, and she blushed horribly. "Master Naofumi you asshole!" she yelled, striking him on the shoulder with her fist repeatedly.

The man patted her on the head which ceased her light pummeling. "You know I could never sell you, no matter how much money someone offered me. You're worth more to me than any amount of gold." he said, causing her blush to darken once more and her hands to lightly grip his collar.

"I...I know."

"Ahem." Beloukas cleared his throat. "Since you're done playing pranks, what can I help you with?" he said, regaining his smirk. Naofumi pointed a finger at Raphtalia, who had hurriedly detached herself from him.

"Her slave crest got removed on accident, and we need it to be put back on. Can you do that?" he asked, holding out 15 silver for the shorter man to take. The slaver pocketed the coins.

"Why of course I can! Repeat customers are such a joy, yes sir!" he said as he bounded over toward a nearby table with all the necessary pieces for the crest.

Following him and taking the knife from the table wordlessly, Naofumi made a shallow cut on his finger and allowed the blood to drip into the small dish. He picked up the ink base and mixed it with his blood, creating the ink for the trader to use.

"You seem quite excited to get started, not that I can blame you. I'm sure anyone would kill for a slave like her to stay underneath them..." his smirk turned more lewd. "...If you catch my meaning."

Naofumi groaned and Raphtalia blushed madly. "Oh I caught it alright. Can we just get this over with?"

'_I have enough problems to deal with, and making Raphtalia jump headfirst into sexuality isn't helping. She's like...ten years old. Adult or not, I'm _not_ dealing with that right now.'_ he thought.

"Of course, of course. Now, where do you want the crest to be?" Beloukas asked. Naofumi looked to his partner for her own opinion.

She stuttered. "I - um, I'll have it in the same place as last time, on my chest." she blushed as she undid the first few buttons of her top and pulled the collar apart, revealing her now-sizeable bust.

Beloukas gasped before collecting himself. "As you say, yes sir!"

He motioned toward the chair for her to sit. She did so, and he began working on the brand new slave crest. The raccoon hissed slightly as the ink burned its way into her skin yet again, but it was bearable. _'It stung a lot worse last time...'_ she absently thought.

Knowing that the procedure would take several minutes, Naofumi looked around and noticed a set of eggs that each bore a slave crest. He waited patiently until the slave trader was finished so that the crest was not deformed in any way.

"All done!" he exclaimed, putting the brush back into the empty pot of ink.

"Master Naofumi, what do you, um, what do you think?" Raphtalia asked, blushing and tense. Naofumi looked at her and knew that she was pressing her breasts together intentionally, but refused to play along.

"The crest looks good. I don't see anything wrong with it." he said business-like, irking the younger girl and causing her to pout at him.

"That's not what I meant..." she mumbled with a pout..

'_I feel bad about it, but I can't just let her run wild like this forever. She's been acting weird ever since she got older.'_ he thought, concerned.

Refocusing his attention on what he had noticed before, he asked. "So what's with the eggs? They all have slave crests on them." Beloukas jumped slightly and waddled his way toward the case filled with large eggs.

"These, my friend, are monster eggs! Inside each one is a creature that is automatically bound to you when it hatches. Each one has a different type of monster, and it's called the 'egg lottery' because it's all random!" he said, smiling and showing off his wares now that the man had shown interest. "This is my personal favorite part of this business! You never know what kind of monster will come out! Doesn't that sound exciting?"

Naofumi thought for a moment, and Raphtalia looked at him strangely. "What kind of creatures do you usually get out of these eggs?" he asked.

The slave trader laughed. "An excellent question! Since these eggs come from a variety of sources, the possibilities are constantly changing. However, I've seen eggs hatch into porcupines, filolials, and if you're extremely lucky, you may get a dragon worth 15 gold pieces!"

"What's a filolial?" the hero asked, turning toward his companion. She sighed at him.

"You mean you don't know? They're the large birds you can see pulling carriages around the village instead of horses." she said.

After contemplating for a few seconds, Naofumi figured it couldn't hurt to try. "How much is it for one egg?" he asked.

"Master Naofumi, is that necessary?"

He crossed his arms. "I can't expect the two of us to handle everything by ourselves. If we're lucky, the monster could help us fight. If not, we could always sell it back."

"I suppose..."

The trader smiled. "One egg is worth 100 silvers, yes sir!"

"I'll take one."

"You really don't have to-" Raphtalia started, but her master had already taken 100 silver coins and exchanged them for one of the eggs. She sighed.

"Pleasure doing business with you! Do come back again!" the slave trader said, clasping his hands together.

Naofumi motioned for his partner to follow him and began to leave. He looked over his shoulder as he exited. "Just be sure to stay open in case I need you again later."

"Oh don't worry about that! I'll always be here, yes sir!"

Closing the tent's flap and walking a short distance away, Raphtalia turned to her master. "That guy still gives me the creeps." she said, suppressing a shiver.

Naofumi huffed with a smile. "I don't know, I think he likes me. Maybe I should invite him out sometime?" 

"Absolutely not!" she said, tail fluffed in panic. "That's taking a joke too far, Master Naofumi!"

The hero laughed. "Anyway, we should stop by Elhart's place before we leave. We'd never hear the end of it if we vanished for awhile without saying hello."

After a few minutes of knocking at the blacksmith's door, Naofumi sighed. "It's pretty late in the evening, so I guess we can't expect him to still be up."

They turned to leave, but before they made it a few steps away from the shop the door cracked open. A very exhausted and angry looking Elhart greeted them. "What the hell do you think you're doing, knocking on people's doors in the middle of the night? Who do you think -"

He wiped his eyes before realizing who had bothered him.

"You kids? Why are you here so late?" he asked, opening the door fully to reveal that he had an axe in his hand. Naofumi guessed that it was probably to threaten whoever was interrupting his rest.

"We, um..." Raphtalia said, looking away. "We had a bit of a situation."

The older man facepalmed. "You two just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" The duo looked to each other and shrugged. "Come on in then. I may as well help you out while you're here."

The two entered the storefront. Elhart spoke as he pulled a small assortment of weapons off the tables and presented them to his customers. "So, what did you get into this time?"

Naofumi scratched his head. "So I was learning how to read so I could learn magic. We sort of got arrested. I had to duel the spear hero, but I managed to win. Now we're here."

Elhart whistled. "Sounds like a hell of a day."

Raphtalia sweatdropped. "If only you knew..."

"Anyway, I feel like it's time for us to get out of Melromarc." Naofumi finished.

Elhart nodded but decided not to pry for details, instead opting to point at the weapons on the table.

"Well maybe a change of scenery will do you two some good. Here's some of my better swords. You can try something new if you want, but I'd suggest you spend some more time using swords before you start experimenting."

They both nodded before choosing their weapons. Raphtalia took a liking to an average-sized blade and Naofumi actually opted for a heavier, longer blade.

"Hey kid, you're not thinking of using that sword with a shield are you? It's a bit too long for that." Elhart said, crossing his arms.

Naofumi grabbed the weapon in one hand, lifting it without too much difficulty before trying to take his usual stance. _'I could definitely hit a bit harder with something like this, but it's a little awkward to use with a shield.'_ he thought to himself. _'Still, is that worth it? Eh, may as well get some experience.'_

"I'll take this one. It's not way too different, but using something a bit bigger could be a nice change. I won't always be able to rely on my shield for everything." he said, taking the large leather sheath from Elhart's outstretched hand and slipping the long blade inside gently.

"Whatever you say kid, just make sure you practice a bit before you get in a real fight." the blacksmith said, sagely.

Paying the amount for the weapons plus some extra on top for the inconvenience, the duo smiled at each other. "Anyway Mister Elhart, would you happen to know the way to Siltvelt? We were already planning on heading that direction eventually, but things got pushed around so we're going now." Raphtalia said.

Elhart yawned. "It's to the East. Just follow the path and you should be good to go. The trip is long, and there's a lot of bandits out on the road these days, so be careful." he said. "Now get going, this old man needs his beauty sleep."

Chuckling, the pair said their goodbyes and began their midnight trek down the dirt path toward demi-human country. "Master Naofumi, do you really think Siltvelt will be a nicer place than this?" Raphtalia asked.

Naofumi shrugged. "Who knows? At least we know it can't be much worse than here."

"I really hope so."


	7. Chapter 8 (rewritten)

"**It's more important to master the cards you're holding than to complain about the ones your opponents were dealt." - Grimsley, Pokémon Black and White**

**Heya everybody! Here's the eighth chapter of the rewrite, and things are starting to heat up! Updates may be just a little bit slower because of life things, but I'm doing my absolute best to put out quality content for you all to enjoy!**

**As with any other chapter, feel free to review the rewritten ones! Let me know how I'm doing on them and give suggestions if you have any!**

**Now onto the chapter!**

"**First Guard!"**

Naofumi finished his incantation and cast his spell, surrounding himself in a bright light that nearly dwarfed the campfire. He checked his status menu before and after the spell was cast.

'_That's almost a 20% increase, and this is only the first level of spells! Suffering through learning the Melromarc language was definitely worth the trouble.'_ he thought, mindlessly stoking the campfire with a stick. The dwindling flame flickered, basking the small camp in an orange glow. Raphtalia was in her sleeping bag, snoring lightly.

With Raphtalia's help, he had managed to grasp the basics of Melromarc's language. Progress was still slow, but he was able to piece together a few words at a time. To his surprise, the only time he needed to read the incantation from the book was the first time he tried casting the spell.

After that, the words appeared in his vision whenever he wanted to cast the spell and he merely spoke them out loud. Sort of like karaoke, but a lot less embarrassing.

On his lap was the egg they had purchased from the slave trader back in Melromarc. It was a fairly large egg with a monster crest painted on the shell. For the past few days, Naofumi and Raphtalia took turns carrying it around until it hatched.

He just hoped it was worth the trouble. This egg was expensive.

Naofumi's eyes turned to the side as he heard a rustling in the bushes. His shift for keeping watch was probably almost over, and he didn't want to wake his companion before he had to. She usually gave him the same courtesy, which he appreciated.

He set the egg down and pulled out his sword. Approaching cautiously, he focused to try to hear the creature's movement. However, it was gone.

'_Must have been an usapil or something wandering too close to the campfire.'_ he thought, sheathing the weapon and sitting back down on a log. As soon as his mind began to wander, he heard gentle footsteps right behind him.

"BOO!"

"AHHHH!"

Naofumi recoiled in surprise, falling off the log and onto his head. He looked up to see Raphtalia bent over, giggling hysterically. His eye twitched.

"Raphtalia, what the hell was that for?" he asked in annoyance.

"Hehehehe! I just thought I'd show off my **First Hiding**! I finally got it down the other night, and I wanted to surprise you!"

He groaned. "You couldn't pick a better time to surprise me? It's too dark to go playing pranks like that. What if I'd had my sword and attacked you by mistake?"

She looked despondent. "I'm sorry, Master..." she mumbled. He sighed, rustling the hair between her ears.

"Maybe I'm being too critical. I'm impressed that you figured out your magic. I'm very proud of you." he said, smiling at her. She blushed, tail flicking slowly.

"Th-thank you, but..." The raccoon regained her senses before pulling his hand off her head. "Can you please stop treating me like a child? I don't need headpats."

Naofumi cocked his head to the side. "I thought you liked it? You always seem so happy and your tail won't sit still."

"I-it's not that! It's just that I-"

***Crack***

The two stopped, looking down at the egg. It began to wiggle a bit as a crack appeared on the corner. They both stared at it in wonder.

"Is it hatching?" Raphtalia asked, leaning in closely. Her tail wagged excitedly.

"I think so."

Another crack appeared, then another. A crunching sound was heard before the top of the egg caved in. After a moment, the egg shell burst open to reveal a small bird.

"It's so cute!" Raphtalia squealed. The bird chirped happily, flapping its tiny wings until it landed on her hands. "What should we call it?"

Naofumi examined it a bit closer. "Well, what is it?" It was a tiny bird, no bigger than the palm of his hand. It had pink colored feathers and an excitable personality.

"It's a filolial, I think."

"Hmm...Well, what about Filo?" he proposed, and the filolial chick chirped happily.

Raphtalia sweatdropped. "I don't know. Doesn't that seem a bit...lazy?"

He shrugged. "It was just a suggestion. Besides, she seems to like it." The bird floated its way over before perching atop Naofumi's head. It chirped triumphantly, as if it had conquered a mountain.

The raccoon groaned. "I suppose. What should we do with it?" The chick hopped down before rummaging through their bag. A crunching and slurping noise drew their attention.

"Hey hold on a second!" Naofumi cried. "Stop eating our food!" He ripped the latch on the pack open and the chick rolled out. It was covered in guts and blood, licking its beak.

"Well it needs to eat something, doesn't it? The only thing in there was the extra Chimera meat, and it wasn't the tastiest thing unless you worked on it yourself." Raphtalia noted, poking the chick's enlarged tummy. It chirped in a way that sounded like a giggle.

Naofumi groaned. "Ugh, fine. I guess there's no reason to let it go to waste." He looked down at the eggshell and rubbed his chin in thought. _'I wonder...'_

Absorbing a small piece of the shell into his shield, Naofumi unlocked both the **Monster User Shield** and the **Monster Egg Shield**. Together, these improved his cooking skill and gave a small status adjustment to monsters.

Snapping his fingers, he turned to his companion. "Raphtalia, can you give me some of your blood?"

She cocked her head to the side, but pricked her thumb using the edge of her sword. She allowed it to drip into his shield, unlocking the **Slave User Shield III**, which gave a larger increase to slave maturation.

'_I knew it. Different parts of my slaves and monsters are prerequisites for unlocking those two series. Once it's a little bigger, I should probably pluck a feather or two and see if that gives me the next part of the __**Monster User **__**Series**__.'_

"Did that unlock anything interesting?" Raphtalia asked.

He nodded. "Nothing incredible, but it should help us get stronger faster."

"That's good. Anyway, it's my turn to watch for the night. Go ahead and get some rest." Raphtalia said, motioning toward his sleeping bag.

He nodded. "Alright, but keep an eye on Filo. We don't want it wandering off and getting lost."

Raphtalia sat down on the previously occupied log. "I'll keep it out of trouble. Sleep well, Master." she said, wrapping herself in a light blanket for warmth

"Good night." Naofumi, tired from keeping watch for the night, drifted off into blissful unconsciousness.

Raphtalia watched the small bird float around happily throughout her shift. After a while, it landed on Naofumi's sleeping bag. The filolial stared at his sleeping face for a short time before grabbing the edge of the sleeping bag, pulling it open and crawling inside beside the hero.

The raccoon pouted. For some reason, _she_ wanted to be the one snuggled up next to her master. It wasn't just because he was unnaturally warm, it was...something else.

It took four days for Naofumi and Raphtalia to realize they'd raised a monster. Literally, and figuratively.

"Um, Master Naofumi? Are you sure there's nothing..._wrong_ with Filo?"

The man in question hummed in thought as he examined the bird. After it had gotten about the size of a balloon, Naofumi had plucked a feather and absorbed it into his shield. This unlocked the **Monster User Shield II**, which gave a small maturation adjustment for monsters.

Four surprisingly short days later, Filo was large enough to ride on. For all intents and purposes, she looked like any other adult filolial.

'_But is the maturation adjustment really that powerful? Even Raphtalia didn't grow up that quickly, and she's a demi-human.'_ he wondered, turning to his companion. "Have you ever raised a filolial before?"

"Not really..."

"Then there's no way for us to know if she's supposed to grow this fast. Besides, she's started hunting on her own at night. Who knows how much food she's eaten." He adjusted his backpack as they walked.

"I wonder how much bigger she'll get. At this rate, she'll be too big for us to take care of her..."

He shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

"I suppose." Raphtalia pointed to a village a short distance ahead. "Master Naofumi, we should stop here and pick up supplies. We haven't stopped since we left the capital, and we're running low on ingredients." she said.

"Then I guess we'll stop here for a bit to eat and relax."

As they reached the gates, the duo-plus-bird noticed a large crowd gathered in the center of town. The village wasn't too large and the buildings weren't tall, so it was hard to miss the commotion.

They walked past a small group of women, and Raphtalia scrunched her nose in disgust at their topic of gossip.

"Oh my goodness, is that the Sword Hero?"

"He's so _mysterious_ looking!"

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

"Those sharp eyes are _everything_ right now!"

Only one part of their conversation interested Naofumi. _'Ren is here? Why?'_

"Master Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked.

"Come on. Let's ignore them and get some lunch."

"Piyo!" Filo chirped loudly. They pushed past the bystanders, heading toward a tavern. Naofumi wasn't allowed to bring Filo inside, so he had her put in a nearby stable. She refused to stay quiet, and eventually the two were forced to eat their meal in the stable so the bird would stay calm.

"Naofumi?"

The shield hero stopped mid-bite to see a group of adventurers led by none other than Ren Amaki. Naofumi's expression soured. "Yeah? What do you want?" he asked.

"I heard you caused quite a scene back in the capital." Ren said, crossing his arms.

"If you call a joke of a duel a scene, then yeah."

"What are you doing here?" Ren asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Raphtalia looked between the two men, unsure if she should say something. After a short staring contest, Ren held up a sheet of paper. "We're here on a quest from the guild. Apparently a dragon has been causing trouble around here."

Naofumi hummed in thought. _'I bet a dragon would give me some pretty powerful shields, but I've got places to be that aren't here.'_

He took another bite of food. "Good luck, or whatever."

"You should speak to Lord Ren with more respect!" One of Ren's party members stepped forward with anger on his features, but the hero pushed him back.

"Calm down, Welt."

"Y-yes, Lord Ren. My apologies." The man sheepishly stepped back to join the other three adventurers in their party.

"So I heard you dueled Motoyasu and won, somehow." Ren said, tone flat and eyes narrowed. Naofumi shrugged.

"Yeah. But in a way, we both won."

"How so? To me, it just sounds like you cheated."

"I didn't cheat. He just wasn't prepared for status ailments." Naofumi said, rolling his eyes. "Motoyasu and I shared our power up methods for our weapons, and we both got a lot stronger."

"That's ridiculous." Ren shook his head. "Who would believe something so outlandish?"

The shield hero shrugged. "Fine, don't believe me. But if you want to be certain you'll beat this dragon of yours, it can't hurt to hear me out, right?"

...

"What do you mean by _sharing_ power up methods? Don't you both use Energy Transfer?"

Naofumi shook his head. "No. Believe it or not, we all have different ways of powering up our weapons."

"Okay...?"

"In addition, we can all use each others' power up methods. Mine is literally built on trust. The more you trust people and the more they trust you, the stronger you both become."

"Now _that_ sounds even stupider."

"Believe me or don't. I really don't care either way. What's this Energy Transfer you mentioned?"

"If you weren't such a noob, you'd know that already." Ren thought for a few seconds. "But let's say you're telling the truth. You'd be able to tank a hit from a dragon without breaking a sweat, right?"

"What are you getting at?"

Naofumi mentally groaned. _'I don't want to get caught up in whatever mess Ren is getting himself into. I don't care what it takes. I'm not going to be a dragon's punching bag!'_

"Come with me, then."

"I refuse."

"How else am I supposed to believe you?"

Naofumi, now finished with his meal, set the plate down and stood. "I honestly don't care if you believe me or not. I have places to be, and I'm not wasting my time fighting some dragon for you."

"How about if we split the drops?"

Naofumi looked at Raphtalia for a few seconds, lost in thought. _'Dammit...Dragon scales probably unlock an extremely powerful shield or two. I can't pass up an opportunity like that, even if I don't like the guy.'_

"Fine."

Ren's expressions were hard to read, but he was clearly relieved. "We leave in about an hour. Get your things ready and meet us by the northern gate."

His sole female companions looked concerned. "But Lord Ren! Should we really allow the shield d-"

"Enough, Farrie. The worst that can happen is him dying on his own. We don't have to protect them." Ren said, turning and walking out of the stables. The rest of his party followed, leaving Naofumi and his two party members alone.

Raphtalia's brow was furrowed in concern. "Master Naofumi, do you really think we can trust the sword hero? His offer didn't seem very genuine."

He shook his head. "As much as I'd like to move on and leave him alone, there are two good reasons for us to join them. The first is that dragon materials would probably unlock some extremely powerful shields. The other is that we'll get a lot stronger if we can get him to talk about his power up method."

"I suppose that makes sense..."

"Piyo!"

They looked to Filo, who chirped in agreement. "Well it looks like we're in agreement then. Come on, let's get some supplies while we're in town. I'm not sure how far the dragon is from here, and I'm not sure if we'll come back."

"Roger that."

The trio secured their belongings in their packs, making sure that the food was stored in Naofumi's inventory where Filo couldn't steal it. They made their way to the western gate to meet up with their temporary allies. Seeing their approach, Ren pushed himself off of the wall he was leaning on.

"Ready to go?" he asked, uncrossing his arms. Naofumi nodded.

"Yeah, we're good to go."

The large group began their trek into the rocky, mountainous region near Mirso Village. Although the two parties were merged for the time being, any conversation was limited to their original members.

Ren's party was a lot more talkative than his own, and within an hour it began to get on Naofumi's nerves. He and Raphtalia didn't usually say much to each other while on the road, and Filo just hummed a silent tune happily to herself.

Having this much noise was distracting. He couldn't keep an ear out for danger when there was so much extra noise around.

Raphtalia's ears perked up and she heard an unusual noise carried on the wind. "Hold on, does anyone else hear that?" she asked. Staying absolutely still, they strained to hear whatever was disturbing them.

The wind was stronger and drowned out much of the ambient noise, but nothing unnatural could be heard over the gales. The warrior from Ren's team, who had introduced himself as Welt, grew impatient after half a minute. "I don't know what you think you heard girl, but I'm not here to waste my time standing ar-"

"**! ! ! ! ! !"**

He was interrupted by a deafening roar that came from right above them. and the group had to cover their ears. Looking upward, they spotted a massive form flying over them. Ren picked himself up from the ground and began running forward. "That's our dragon. Let's go!" he yelled, unsheathing his sword.

"Right!"

Naofumi turned to his two companions as he unsheathed his own weapon, for whatever good it would do. "Raphtalia, Filo! Come on!"

"Okay!"

"Piyo!"

After a few moments, the dragon landed on a rocky plateau ahead of them. It drew in a deep breath before releasing a powerful, booming roar that shook the earth beneath their feet. The beast spread its wings wide as a show of strength and breathed a hot stream of flames into the air.

Naofumi was actually faster than Ren, and managed to pass him before bringing his shield up. "Raphtalia, Filo, stay behind me! We'll go for a quick attack if it leaves itself open!"

"Yeah!" Raphtalia shouted back. But there was no response from Filo.

"Filo?" He turned and saw something he wasn't expecting. The bird's eyes had a dangerous and angry glint, and her feathers were fluffed as if ready for battle. The only response he got was a growl, or at least the closest thing to a growl that the filolial could make.

All of a sudden, Filo rushed forward with determination, ignoring the obvious danger of fighting a fully grown dragon completely. "Filo! Come back here!" Naofumi yelled. "Ah, dammit!"

Ren and his party only spared a passing glance at the bird before engaging as well.

Naofumi blocked a clawed swipe from the dragon, and was surprised that he was able to maintain his footing. The weight of the blow caused the ground to crack beneath his feet, but he held firm with only a single bead of sweat on his brow Raphtalia swung her sword at the arm, but the blade only made a shallow cut through the tough scales. She yanked it out with a small gush of blood before dodging a swipe..

"**Crimson blade!"**

Ren ran to the beast's leg and yelled out his attack, causing a massive wave of flames to erupt from his sword. The flames merely licked the tough scales, and he jumped back as the dragon's huge foot attempted to stomp on him.

"Lord Ren! _As source of thy power, I command thee. Decipher the laws of nature and electrify my target! _**Zweite Lightning!**" One of his companions fired off a bolt of lightning that struck the dragon harshly. It growled in pain as it momentarily found it difficult to move.

Another of Ren's party members, a rogue with two knives and quick feet, leapt onto the outstretched arm and stabbed down. The blades only sank a few inches in before they were stuck. With a roar, the dragon flung him back where he was thankfully caught by the warrior.

"I'm okay, thanks Bakta."

"Stay focused!"

Filo sprinted toward the dragon before leaping high into the air, slamming her foot into the side of its jaw. The monster roared in anger before snapping its jaws at her, but she managed to dodge with a quick flap of her wings.

That was just enough time for Naofumi to slash at its foot. The attack was completely ineffective as the sword bounced right off. "Tch. Should have known I wouldn't be much use here. Raphtalia!"

"Yes!?"

"I'll draw its attention! Go for the neck, but watch out for its jaws!"

"Roger that!"

"I'll back you up, but don't slow me down! Let's move!" Ren shouted, sprinting forward with the raccoon.

"Hey big guy! Think you can take me down, huh!?" Naofumi yelled. It was the oldest trick in the book, but he was hoping it would work. After all, he didn't have anything that could draw its attention. And he wasn't fast enough to protect everyone at once.

Thankfully, it seemed to work. The dragon's eyes locked onto him and it roared, nearly knocking him off his feet. "Yeah that's right! I'm right here! Come get me!" the man yelled.

The dragon's maw glowed with fire, and Naofumi braced himself for what would probably be the strongest attack he's ever taken.

"Everyone get behind me!" Naofumi yelled, raising his shield and bracing for impact. The entire group rushed to safety behind him as the blast of flames covered the entirety of the area. As soon as the flames died down, a large hand snatched Naofumi and began to crush him.

"Agh! D-dammit, this hurts!" he cried, struggling to free himself. However, the dragon's grip was far too powerful.

"Master Naofumi, no!" Raphtalia screamed.

"Gwah!" Filo cawed, motioning with her head for the raccoon to jump on. As soon as she did, the bird leapt high into the air toward the dragon's head.

"Let go of him!" With a shout, Raphtalia jumped off of Filo's back and embedded her sword in the dragon's eye. It roared in agony, covering the scarred organ with its other hand. However, the beast didn't release the hero.

"Naofumi! Hang on!" Ren yelled. **"Hundred Swords!"** With a thrust of his sword, a hundred spectral blades flew toward his opponent. They stabbed deep into the dragon's skin and blood gushed from every inch of its body.

"Let Master goooooooooo!"

Everyone turned toward the new voice that pierced the battlefield. It was decidedly feminine, and sounded like it belonged to a child. Filo was enveloped in a bright light before she puffed up, nearly doubling in size until she looked more like a giant owl than a filolial.

"What the-"

"Let go, stinky dragon! **HIGH QUICK!"** she cried. In an instant, Filo blurred and vanished before crashing into the dragon. The beast's head smashed into a nearby group of trees, knocking them over. Raphtalia quickly followed up by slashing at its hand, freeing Naofumi from its clutches.

"Any ideas, Ren!?" Naofumi yelled.

"It's weak! One more strike should do it!" Ren yelled back. **"Lightning Blade!"** His sword sparked with electricity that launched from the tip of the blade. It struck the dragon in the chest, and it convulsed before collapsing forward onto the ground.

"Did - _*huff*_ \- did that do it?"

"Lord Ren is so powerful! He took down the dragon!"

Naofumi regrouped with his teammates, and they all took a moment to breathe now that the battle was in their favor. The dragon hadn't moved since Ren's attack, but its eye examined them with contempt.

"**You have defeated me. How shameful."**

"What was that!?" one of Ren's companions shouted. "Did it just _talk!?"_

"**Fools, all of you. To trespass on my territory for nothing more than glory is the height of greed."**

"Boooo! Mr. Dragon is mean and scary but he can't beat me!" Filo said triumphantly. Now that he had a moment to look at her, Naofumi was shocked at her growth.

"Filo, you can _talk!?_" he asked.

"**A dragon just spoke to you and you ignore him? If I could be insulted any more today, my ancestors would roll in their graves."**

Ren approached the downed dragon, holding his sword up high. "Enough. You've been beaten, and our mission here is complete. It's time for you to die."

The massive beast chuckled weakly. **"Then do it. End me if it brings you joy. But know this: A dragon's rage is **_**not**_** to be underestimated. I **_**will**_** return, and I **_**will**_** destroy every minuscule part of your existence!"**

"Wait, Ren! It's already beaten, you don't need to-"

"**Crimson Blade!"** The sword hero ignored the man's plea, slashing his flaming blade into the skull of the dragon. The beast fell still as blood oozed from its head. The dragon was dead.

"Ren, what the hell did you do that for!?" Naofumi shouted, grabbing the other hero by the shoulders and shaking him. Ren pushed Naofumi off.

"Our mission was to kill the dragon here. It was just trying to trick us into letting our guard down." he said, flicking his sword to rid it of the dragon's blood.

"That's shit and you know it, but I suppose it's too late now." Naofumi sighed. "Let's just get what we need and get out of here."

Raphtalia reluctantly joined them in butchering what remained of the once-proud dragon. Naofumi unlocked a large variety of shields including the **Dragon Bone** and **Dragon Scale** shields, but he wasn't a high enough level to use any of them. In fact, he needed to be almost level 50 to use even the **Dragon Meat Shield**, which improved his cooking drastically.

After some time, they noticed that Filo was missing. "Hey Raphtalia, where's Filo?" Naofumi asked, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow.

She looked around. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen her since the battle ended."

"Hmm."

All of a sudden, the filolial emerged from a hole in the dragon's stomach. She made wet, smacking noises as she finished chewing what she had in her mouth. "Mmmm! The inside is just as yummy as the outside!"

Naofumi and Raphtalia nearly gagged. "Filo, that's disgusting!" the raccoon shouted. "No, don't come near us! You smell awful!"

"Aww, but doesn't Master want some too? Dragon is suuuuuuuuuper tasty!"

"Ugh. Just...eat your fill and be ready to go in a bit." Naofumi said, clutching his stomach to hold in his lunch.

"'Kay!" She went back to eating the dragon's flesh with disgusting crunching sounds.

Ren walked up to them. "You took a breath attack head-on and didn't take any damage. I'm impressed."

"Like I said, it's because I have both Motoyasu's and my own power up method working for me." Naofumi responded, sifting through his menu to look at all of the shields he'd unlocked. There really were a lot of them, so he would need to take a closer look later.

Ren looked uncertain for a moment before sighing. "I suppose I believe you then. At your level, you really shouldn't have been able to withstand that. So I just need to tell you my power up method or something and we both get stronger?"

"That's right. Your stats will literally go up as soon as we share them."

Still shaking off the last bits of skepticism, Ren sighed. "Fine. Energy Transfer works like this. As you use your weapon forms, they increase in mastery level and get stronger. Once they hit 100, you can convert that level into energy which can be used to unlock higher rarities and special effects for whatever form you want."

Naofumi hummed in thought. "So basically, increasing the rarity also makes the weapon stronger?"

"Exactly." He took a look through his status menu and his eyes widened slightly. "You weren't kidding, after all. My stats just increased quite a lot."

"See? I told you." Naofumi said as he pondered how to best use the accumulated mastery levels he already had on his weapons. Oftentimes he would just leave a certain shield on to unlock its ability, so quite a few of them were already maxed out with mastery. "Anyway, we should probably get going so we can get out of this country."

Ren cleared his throat. "You're leaving Melromarc? Why?"

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? I'm getting far away from that place. Even if they aren't trying to kill me, the king and the princess have it out for me."

"You did almost rape the princess."

"I didn't do shit!" Naofumi roared in his face. "Listen to me and listen well, Ren. That bitch _lied!_"

"But what about the evidence?" Ren probed, arms crossed. "Everything pointed towards you being the culprit."

"It was a setup." Raphtalia added with a frown. "I'm fairly certain that Princess Malty accused Master Naofumi of rape so she could steal his things and make his life difficult."

"That's a bit of a stretch." Ren shook his head. "But I guess I won't know the full truth."

"I honestly don't care if you believe me or not." Naofumi turned away. "We're done with our little team-up. Let's get out of here."

"Wait, Naofumi."

"What do you want now?"

"We were planning to set up camp a few miles down the road. We need to head back to the capital to get our reward for this quest, but you may as well stay with us for tonight." Ren said. If it was possible, he looked bashful.

Naofumi looked at his party members. Raphtalia looked stressed and exhausted. Her hair was strewn in all directions and she was glancing about for more danger. Filo's feathers were covered in blood and guts from the inside of the dragon's stomach. The hero pinched his nose as the stench assaulted him.

"Yeah. I think that sounds good."

It took nearly half an hour of walking for them to reach a river. The women took the first 'bath' as the men set up the tents and prepped the campfire. Filo joined the girls, but unsurprisingly they all kept their distance from her as the red washed out of her feathers.

Raphtalia came back, holding her armor in one hand and a towel in the other. Her hair was matted and damp, just like her tail. "Master Naofumi, I think the girls are all done bathing if you'd like to clean up." she offered. He finished setting up the pot over the fire for dinner.

"Sounds good."

He took off his armor and clothes before dipping himself into the river. He sighed as the dirt and grime of the day were washed away with the current.

"Shield hero." Naofumi turned to see Welt, one of Ren's party members getting undressed and into the river.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know what your angle is, but if you think I'll let you corrupt Lord Ren-"

Naofumi rolled his eyes. "Relax. I don't have any sinister plans at the moment, so your 'Lord Ren' is perfectly safe."

"Well just in case-!"

"Relax, Welt. Naofumi is fine, as long as I can keep an eye on him." Ren said, getting into the river but submerging himself completely so his body couldn't be seen. Naofumi almost laughed at how childish it was.

The edgiest guy out of the four heroes, and he wasn't even willing to let other men see his naked chest?

"Yeah Welt, just relax! Take a load off for a bit! We just beat a dragon!" Ren's rogue-like member joined them in the river. Naofumi was busy scrubbing the blood and dirt off of himself, doing his best to ignore them.

The banter between the two men was the only sound interrupting their bathing. Naofumi focused on himself, but couldn't help but notice how Ren was off in the corner by himself. The dark haired boy froze up whenever he got Naofumi's gaze. With a roll of his eyes, Naofumi finished his bath and dried off before heading back to camp.

"But Siiiiiissssssss what do you mean it isn't done yet!?" Filo whined, staring at the pot of stew over the fire. "Can't Filo have a little taste?"

The raccoon shoved Filo's beak out of the way as she reached for the food. "No! If you eat all the food, Master Naofumi will go hungry! You don't want that, do you?"

"Noooooooo! But..." A loud growling noise emanated from her stomach. "So hungry..."

Raphtalia's ears perked up as their master rejoined them. "Ah you're back! How do you feel?" she asked, tail wagging behind her as she stirred the pot.

"Much better. Need any help?" Naofumi asked as he peered inside. "It looks like it's ready to add a few spices in with the meat."

"Sure. The food is always better when you make it, anyway." Raphtalia handed him the ladle as he pulled more ingredients out of his inventory. He dumped them in one by one, stirring the pot as the stew bubbled.

Raphtalia had tried cooking her master a meal a few times, but the results were nowhere near as delicious. She was always embarrassed by her supposed lack of cooking ability, but she felt a little better knowing that Naofumi's shield made his cooking taste better.

There were moments when she wished _she_ could have a magical food shield too.

As Ren's companions returned, they immediately started drinking. Naofumi groaned as they began to retell the battle with the dragon with every detail embellished to the extreme. It was probably how they would pick up girls in the next tavern over.

The wizard type of Ren's group hid inside of his tent to read a book in relative silence. The final member of Ren's team (and the only female) joined the men in getting plastered. However, she was notably more rambunctious than they were.

Raphtalia was hesitant to join them both because her master wasn't a big fan of drinking, and because she didn't know them very well.

"Alright everyone, food's ready." Naofumi announced, pouring a bowl of stew for his two companions as well as himself. He left the ladle in the bowl so the rest could serve themselves.

Ren sat there staring at his menu as he ate. Naofumi didn't want to bother him, and _definitely_ didn't want to join the others in their drunk shenanigans. So he opted for silently reading his spellbook to hopefully pick up a few new words for an incantation. After nearly an hour, the sword hero approached.

"Duel me."

Naofumi looked up from his book. "Why?"

"I want to know how strong you really are. No normal person at your level should be able to take a dragon's breath attack like that. Besides, I'm a little curious since you beat Motoyasu."

"And if I say no?"

Ren grunted. "Then I'll attack you anyway."

"You're really self-centered, aren't you?" Naofumi sighed and put down his book before standing. "Fine, whatever. Let's get this over with."

Ren's party members all crowded around as the two stood across from one another. They all had drinks in their hands and cheered on their leader.

"Good luck, Lord Ren! You can do it!"

Not to be outdone, Raphtalia cheered on her master.

"I believe in you, Master Naofumi!"

Although he hid it well, Naofumi was glad she bothered to cheer for him. For whatever reason, her voice filled him with confidence. He unsheathed his sword and rolled his neck. "Any special rules, or just do whatever until someone admits defeat?" he asked.

"Anything goes, as long as it's just between us." Ren replied, taking his awkward stance. The boy held his sword out in front of him while his other hand was awkwardly clenched to the side. Naofumi raised one eyebrow, but held his sword in front of him with both hands.

"Um, begin!" Raphtalia said, chopping her hand down to signal the start of the match.

"**Lightning Blade!" **Ren immediately shot forward and wrapped his sword in electricity. Naofumi blocked it with his shield, not even flinching as the lightning surged around him. Instead of using a skill, he opted to deflect the blow to the side and swing with his own weapon. However it was easily dodged.

"**Hundred Swords!"**

"**Shield Prison!"**

Ren threw spectral swords at Naofumi, who created a prison to block them all. The blades failed to cut through the cage of shields, and they vanished as Naofumi charged and swung his sword. Ren was still recovering from his skill, and was forced to block.

"Your attacks are weak! Just like I expected!" Ren yelled, forcing both of their weapons into the air and thrusting at Naofumi. The shield hero changed his shield and activated another skill.

"**Snake Venom Fang!"**

The counter skill activated, stretching the viper heads until they bit deep into Ren's shoulder. He cried out as he immediately felt sluggish and tired.

"I'm not done yet! **Crimson Blade!"** His sword was engulfed in fire, but the attack was easily blocked by Naofumi. He wound up for a counterattack while the man was weak.

"Master Naofumi, look! Stop the fight!" Raphtalia cried, pointing into the sky.

"Huh?"

"**! ! ! ! ! ! !"**

A deafening roar pierced the evening sky, and everyone turned to see a dragon flying toward them. It looked just like the one they killed earlier, but something was off. Most of its flesh was rotting or missing entirely, and its movements seemed sluggish.

"What the-!" Ren looked genuinely surprised.

"Everyone, take cover! **Shield Prison!"** Naofumi grabbed Ren by his collar, dragging him toward the others before creating a barrier. A few seconds later, the cage was engulfed in dragon fire.

"What's going on!? How is it still alive!?" one of Ren's companions asked. Any thoughts of celebration were instantly gone.

"I don't know!" Raphtalia cried.

The barrier vanished as the dragon crashed down in front of them unceremoniously. Ren, still weakened from poison, tried to attack but was quickly swiped into a tree.

"Lord Ren! I'll-UGH!" Welt cried out in shock as a massive tail launched him into the air.

"Dammit! Raphtalia, Filo!" Naofumi shouted.

"Right! Let's go, Filo!"

"Okaaaaaaayyy!"

Raphtalia leapt onto the filolial's back and they quickly circled the zombified dragon. Its jaw was split into three pieces, giving it a disgusting, otherworldly appearance. Its attention was centered solely on Ren, going so far as to ignore the others.

"Hey! Get back here!" Naofumi yelled as he chopped at its toe to no avail. "Dammit!"

"**Zweite Lightning!"** the wizard cried, launching a powerful bolt of lightning that did little to nothing to the empowered dragon. "What!? Barely any effect at all!?"

"**High Quick!"** Filo shouted, blurring and kicking the dragon right in the face. It recoiled, but didn't seem to be damaged. Raphtalia sliced it with her sword, but just like before it was barely effective.

The zombie dragon inhaled a huge breath, and Naofumi feared for Ren's life. He might be able to handle a breath attack, but Ren certainly couldn't. Sprinting with every bit of strength his legs could muster, he managed to get in front of the sword hero right before the flames surrounded them.

Without any time to use an extra skill, Naofumi could feel his arms burning from the heat. He grit his teeth and pressed back against the surging flames. _'Not gonna last much longer at this rate!'_

The flames subsided and Naofumi gasped for breath. He had protected Ren, but gotten heavily injured in the process. Ren stood on shaky legs, holding his sword out.

"Move out of the way, Naofumi!"

"What!? Are you _trying _to die!?"

"I can do this!"

The dragon tried to slam its fist on top of them, but Naofumi blocked it using an **Air Strike Shield**. "You can handle it, huh!? You can't even dodge right now! Stay behind me!"

"I-I said move!"

"And I said stay there, dammit! Otherwise I can't- UGH!" Naofumi cried out in pain as the dragon's fist shattered his spectral shield and began crushing him under its weight. "If you can do something about it, then _do something!"_

"**Dragon Buster!"** Ren shouted. His sword glowed a bright gold as he leapt forward, slashing the hand of the zombie dragon right off. Naofumi sighed as the pressure relented, taking deep breaths to recover his energy.

"Master Naofumi! Are you both okay!?" Raphtalia asked as Filo stopped beside them.

"We - _*huff*_ \- We're alive, at least! Any luck with taking it down?" Naofumi asked as the raccoon jumped off to support him.

"Nuh uh! He's really tough, Master! He barely moves when I kick him!" Filo complained.

Ren's companions attacked all at once, but were flung away by a swipe of its tail. Naofumi clenched his fist, dropping the sword into the dirt. It was useless in this battle anyway, so there was no reason to hang onto it.

"Filo, take Ren and go for the head! Ren, use that skill again!" Naofumi ordered.

"Urgh, fine." The sword hero reluctantly climbed on top of Filo's back as she sped away. The dragon's attention was completely focused on them as they sprinted around and dodged its attacks. Naofumi held his hand out.

"_As source of thy power, I command thee! Decipher the laws of nature and protect my target! __**First Guard!"**_he chanted, enveloping Filo in a bright light that shined like a beacon under the evening sun. Her defense had risen considerably since her sudden transformation, and this only made it higher.

"**High Quick!"** With a blur, Filo appeared and kicked at the zombie dragon's head. It barely reacted, but another use of Ren's **Dragon Buster** managed to cleave deep into its neck. Blood sprayed from the wound like a fountain and it roared.

"Good job, sword guy! Now we gotta - WOAH!" Filo had to dodge as the dragon began flailing around. Despite its large size, it moved extremely quickly. Arms and wings found around violently, and Filo had struggled to dodge all of them. One rampant limb struck the filolial, sending her and Ren barreling through the sky.

"Owww!" she cried, looking around as she fell. Ren was plummeting straight toward the zombie dragon's gaping maw. "Noooooo!"

Everyone on the ground watched with terrified expressions. Nobody had any magic that could save the hero from something like that, and he was out of range for Naofumi's skills to have any effect. All they could do was watch.

"REN, NO!" Naofumi screamed. The zombie dragon jumped, jaws wide open around him. Filo flapped her wings as hard as she could, reaching Ren's position and kicking him out of the way.

Just in time for the dragon's maw to slam shut around her. A massive gush of red seeped through its teeth, and Naofumi stared in horror.

"FILOOOOOO!"

Everyone watched, terrified as the dragon chewed a few times and swallowed Naofumi's second companion. His eyes were wide and his jaw was wide open, not believing what had just happened.

'_There's no way...She's gone?...'_ Naofumi's mind was blank as the dragon roared in victory. Even though his body felt as strong as ever, he felt like he couldn't move a muscle.

"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia screamed. When he didn't respond, she shook him by the shoulders. "Master Naofumi, snap out of it! We need your help!" Her eyes were filled with tears.

'_How could I help anyone...? I couldn't even help Filo. And she was only a week old...'_

Everything around him was dark. He could sense the ground beneath his feet, but it was like there was nothing else there. He couldn't see, he couldn't think properly, and the only thing he could feel was despair.

Suddenly, a scrambled message appeared in his mind.

**Y̸̞͛ǫ̸̩̔͛̈́͑͐u̵̢͔̲͓̇̐̅͗ͅ ̷̢̣̇̊w̵͙̹͓̟̑̌̓͝͠a̸̙̳̍̓̍n̸̺̠͒̉͂̑ṱ̶̩̌̉ ̷̡̢̠̪̆ͅp̷̥͈͎̝͊o̴͙̥͓̩͂̈w̶̜͔̠̰͈̌e̷̡̠̻͂̏̈́͋r̷͔̓̓̆͝?̵͕͕̳̉**

Naofumi stared at the message for what felt like minutes. _'Do I want power?...For what?...'_ he wondered, but no response came. The question sat in his mind, repeating over and over like a mantra.

'_They believed in me...Filo believed in me, and I failed...It's because I wasn't strong enough to save her...At this rate, Raphtalia will die too...'_ His thoughts turned dark. _'If I couldn't beat a dragon when I have Ren's whole party with me, there's no way I could ever hope to beat the waves and get home on my own! I'm too weak!'_

**Ḑ̴̺̋͜o̶̱͙̓̈̋͋ ̵̧̛̲͊͑̑͝ý̵̼̟̫͍̂o̸̲͛̾͑ǔ̸̥͕̙͊̄̅̄ ̵̧̱̫̔͐h̷̡̺̓͗͌̀̓a̷̗̪̜̚͝ͅț̴̜͇͙͇̈́̀e̷͓̔̎͂̚͜ ̷̨̥̄̇̏̾̕ę̸͉͑̐͒̇̕v̷̛̱̽ͅè̷̜̠̗̙̀ř̸͕̓͐͌̋y̴̥̯͕͛̓́́̚t̸̤̪͙͛̇͗̿̇h̶̘̞̃i̸̢̯̪̣͈̔̅͒̚͝ń̴̘̖̬̥̓͝͠g̸̠͖͂͑?̵͙͐̎̒**

His heart was pounding. Everything besides the message was darkness, and Naofumi could feel that darkness spreading from his shield. The web of the shield menu appeared, then spun around to reveal another tree written in red, almost black text.

**Curse Series**

**Shield of Rage: ability locked**

**Equip bonus: skill "Change Shield (attack),""Iron Maiden"**

**Special Effect: Self Curse, Burning Strength Up**

**Born from the heart: Shield of Murder...**

Naofumi could feel the emotions pouring out of his shield. They erupted out of it like a geyser, surrounding him in dark, black flames. Finally, the shield transformed into its black form with red markings all over the surface of the metal.

Every ounce of his being became anger. Drenched in it as if he was dunked into a vat of pure, unadulterated rage. A dark shadow reached out for him, but he roared and smacked it away. The dark flames didn't burn Naofumi's skin at all, but they exploded every time the shadow touched the shield.

'_So the angrier I get, the more powerful I get? That's easy. I have plenty of anger to go around!'_

The shadow backed away as if afraid of his wrath, and he grabbed it by the arm. The flesh sizzled and melted, but it wasn't enough for him.

He wanted it to be completely eradicated until not a single molecule remained.

But as he felt his anger taking over completely, he felt a hand on his own. It was warm, unlike the cold rage that flowed through him. The anger began to dissipate, drowned out under this new sensation.

'_What...is this? Why does it feel so...kind?'_

"Even if the whole world turns against you, I won't."

The voice split the darkness, and it slowly receded. _'I can't...not yet..! I can't give in yet! I still have things I want to protect! I have people I want to protect! There are still people who believe in me..!'_

**Y̷͔̿ơ̵̳̲̒u̴͉͂r̶̺̳̅̈́ ̶̫̄a̷̗̓n̸̪̋̽g̸̝̦̋ë̷̯̝́r̶̤̿͊ ̷͈̩͂w̸̨̡̃ḛ̶̿a̸͈̕͠k̸͉̥̿̈́ȅ̸̳̺n̵͚͓̏͝s̵̛̻.̶̖̔.̸̳͑̚W̸̻̐́͜o̸̻͐́ų̷̻͌̔l̷̢͊̽d̸͇͎̾ ̴̲̟̒͐ỵ̵̔̄ȯ̸̺̎ȕ̴͔̥̈́ ̸̡̛͙r̸̹̽ḛ̷̊́f̵̊͐ͅu̴̪͑s̴̛̟͜e̸͖͔̐ ̶̦̙̌m̷͕͂͝e̸͔͓̾̅?̵̠̿̎**

'_No! I don't like taking orders from anyone, especially not voices in my head! I'll choose my own path!'_

**Ỉ̸̜̭'̵͚̓ṃ̷̯́ ̵̙̮̉̽ä̸̺l̷̩͍͊ẃ̷̙̟̒a̶̩̫̚y̷͕̋ͅś̶͓ ̸̰͔̃̐ẁ̷̫͛ȁ̸̲̌t̸̨͈͒̊c̵̰̊͛ḥ̸̛ǐ̴̹n̸̝͓̚͘g̴͍̱͋.̶̖̈́̎ ̸̱̖̽̄ ̶͕̇W̸͍̐a̷̦̩̅̒t̷̟̐͛c̷͙̥̾h̶̹̙͛ị̷́́ň̴̢́ģ̷̓̕ ̶͓́f̴͈͈̈õ̷̧͓̾r̸͍̩͝ ̴̗̤͝ẏ̸̘͐o̷̗̲̊̕ṳ̷̀̉r̴͎̥̀̈ ̴̺͉̋ẉ̶͗e̷̗̲͒̇a̶̻̼͛k̶̝̗̈́n̴̦̪̒e̷̼̠̊s̷̬͓͐s̷̖̚͝.̷̞̮́**

The dark voice vanished as the world became light once more. Naofumi blinked as he heard violent coughing beside him, and his eyes widened. She was holding his hand in her own.

"Raphtalia!? Are you alright!?"

"Y-yes...I'm - _*cough!* _\- I'm fine!"

She didn't look fine. She was badly burned, but there were no enemies in the area who used fire except the dragon. And he'd protected her from all of its attacks since the start of the battle!

"Raphtalia...Did...Did I do this?"

"It's...okay..."

"Why were you holding my hand!?" Naofumi shouted in panic, recoiling away from her just in case he were to catch on fire again. However, she held his hand tightly and refused to let go.

"Because...I thought that...If I didn't, you - _*cough!* *cough!* - _you would disappear..."

"_I am the source of all power. Hear my words and understand them, heal her! _**First Heal!"** Naofumi screamed. Although the green light enveloped Raphtalia, the burns remained.

"_I am the source of all power. Hear my words and understand them, heal her! _**First Heal!" **

"**First Heal!" "FIRST HEAL!"**

Still, the burns refused to fade.

'_Damn it all! It's not working! My low level magic isn't enough!'_ Naofumi grit his teeth, but was brought out of his mind by the dragon's roar. It swung an arm, missing the hand entirely and burned beyond recognition.

"Get out of my way!" Naofumi screamed, blocking the stump limb with his shield. He could feel the Self Curse Burning begin to activate, but he forced it down. _'No! I can't do that now! Not with Raphtalia right here!'_

"**Dragon Buster!"** Ren swung his glowing sword, severing the zombie dragon's leg and throwing it to the ground. It roared in pain for a few moments before suddenly stopping. The flesh melted off at an unbelievably fast pace until only a skeleton remained. A massive pile of flesh and organs sat underneath.

"What the hell is going on?" Ren asked, cautiously approaching.

The dragon still didn't move. Sensing that the battle was over, Naofumi switched back to his **Chimera Viper Shield**. If it weren't for the horrible side effects, he would use the **Shield of Rage** a lot more often. As it stood, it was far too dangerous and his heart couldn't' take the strain. He constantly felt like he was one step away from losing himself to it completely.

"Raphtalia, are you going to be okay!?" he asked, regaining his senses.

"Y-yes...I'll be okay, thanks to you. But - _*hiss!* _\- these burns are quite painful..." she groaned with a wince. Naofumi was careful not to touch her in a way that would hurt, but he gently hooked an arm under her back and under her knees to lift her up.

Raphtalia wished this could happen under different circumstances. Right now, she was under too much stress and pain to enjoy the moment.

"Hold on, it's still moving!" Ren shouted, taking a step back. Everyone's eyes widened in fear.

'_The fight still isn't over!?'_

After a few moments, the organs convulsed and shook with such force that the stomach tore open. A massive wave of rotten fluids oozed out, along with the familiar form of Filo. She was drenched in bodily fluids, but she seemed fine.

"Hoo! I finally made it out!" she exclaimed, before shaking some of the liquid from her feathers. "That was kinda gross!"

Naofumi's eyes widened even further. "Filo! Are you alright!? Are you hurt!?"

"I'm A-okay!"

Raphtalia looked at her in shock. "But...what about the blood when the dragon ate you!?"

"Blood? Ohhhh. When the dragon ate me it pushed on my tummy and I threw up all the food I ate."

Naofumi breathed out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that! I thought you were dead!"

"Aww so you missed me!" she said, bounding over to them happily. Both Naofumi and Raphtalia covered their noses.

"Ugh, you stink Filo! Go take a bath or something, my goodness!" Raphtalia's eyes bulged as she struggled to breathe. The smell was _that bad_.

As they continued their banter, Ren and his party members walked over. For the most part, they were uninjured. A few bruises and a few large cuts, but nothing serious. "Naofumi."

The shield hero looked up at Ren with exhausted eyes. "Yeah?"

"Thanks...I don't know if we'd be here if it weren't for you." Ren's awkward expression looked strange on him, but it made Naofumi come to a conclusion.

Ren was a textbook chuuni. Someone who likes to act edgy and cool all the time, but is really just hiding his social anxiety.

Naofumi sighed. "At least we all made it out alive. That's all I can hope for, at this point."

"What will you do now?"

He took a glance at his two companions. One was horribly burnt, and the other was physically fine but disgusting. "I think I need a good night's rest after this shit."

Ren cracked a thin smile. "For once, I agree. The camp is ruined, so we can either hoof it back to Mirso Village or sleep on the grass."

Naofumi groaned. "I'll worry about that after I make sure Raphtalia is okay." Ren nodded and walked back to his party. The raccoon wriggled in his arms.

"I already said that I'm okay. You can put me down now, Master Naofumi."

"No. Not until I know you're fine."

"I am fine!"

"You don't look fine."

She couldn't argue with that. As they walked toward the river, Filo pulled a purple crystal out from under her wing. "Look Master! I found you something!"

They examined it curiously. "What exactly _is_ that?" he asked. "And where did you find it?"

"Hm? I found it inside the dragon's belly while I was eating my way out! I thought it looked pretty, so I grabbed it!" the filolial chirped happily. Naofumi and Raphtalia shared a look and a sigh.

'_Is food really the only thing on her mind?'_

"Anyway, what do you think it does?" Raphtalia asked. Naofumi shrugged as he set her down beside the river.

"No idea. Maybe someone in Siltvelt can give us a better idea. But if it's some kind of core, it could be dangerous. Or extremely powerful."

"We should be careful with it, then."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Raphtalia."

Raphtalia insisted that she could bathe herself, and Filo decided she would dunk herself underwater and shake to rid herself of the stench. Naofumi quickly washed himself and returned to where Ren's party was.

"So what's the plan? Are we staying here? At this point, I think safety in numbers is the way to go." he said, crossing his arms.

"Agreed. We're dead tired, so we're just going to set up camp a ways away from the corpse. Since we've already gotten our weapons out of it, there's no reason to hang around."

"What will you do with it afterwards?"

Ren raised one eyebrow. "What will we do with it? Hmm...I guess we'd leave it up to the villagers, since it's so close to their village. I don't have any reason to take it all with me."

Naofumi rubbed his chin in thought. "You're stopping by the village tomorrow on your way back, right?"

"Yeah."

"Give them a heads up that it's out here, and have them dispose of the parts they can't use. It already looks like it's rotting, but some crazy person out there might have a use for it."

"Sounds like a waste of time, but I'm too tired to argue right now."

Raphtalia and Filo returned, and the group trudged their way to a non-burned area of the forest. They made sure to stick relatively close to the river for convenience. Eventually, they came upon a small grotto in the dirt and rock. It was dark and dank, but it provided enough shelter for their needs tonight.

Filo fell asleep, belly full and crisis averted. Ren's companions slowly said their 'good night's and passed out as well.

Naofumi pulled out his emergency sleeping bag and tucked Raphtalia into it. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" he asked in concern. His face was barely lit by the small fire they'd made inside to stay warm, casting him in an orange glow.

The raccoon shook her head. "I already told you I'm okay. And you don't need to go this far for me."

"That's stupid. _I _did this to you, so _I'm_ taking responsibility for it."

She reached a hand and gently caressed his cheek. "It's sweet of you to care so much about me, Master Naofumi. But we have more important things to worry about. We can worry more about me when we reach Siltvelt, okay?"

Naofumi held her hand against his cheek. "Promise me you'll let me take care of you when we get there."

The raccoon smiled softly. "I promise."

He gave one of his rare smiles. The type that was completely genuine and filled with emotion. "Good. Now get some rest. I'll wake you up in the morning, okay?"

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night, Raphtalia."

He looked toward the entrance of the cave, where Ren was standing silently by himself. Naofumi could feel sleep dragging at the edge of his vision, but his curiosity got the better of him. The boy barely reacted at his approach.

"Can't sleep?" Naofumi asked.

The sword hero shook his head. "It's not that. It's just...I dunno..." He clenched his fists at his side. "To think we were so outmatched..!"

The taller man sighed. "I guess we're both lucky. If you hadn't been there to keep it busy while I was losing it, we would have been goners. There's no way we could have won that fight with just the three of us."

"Speaking of which...what _was_ that?" he asked, taking a seat on the cold rock. "Suddenly you have those flames again just like with the Chimera, but this time they were black. And you used a shield I've never seen before."

Naofumi remained standing, looking out of the cave entrance as it began raining. The soft pitter-patter of droplets against the earth was soothing. "I...don't really understand it myself, if I'm being honest. It's called the **Shield of Rage**."

"Rage?"

The man nodded. "It's incredibly powerful, but it felt...dark. Something about it isn't right, and I know I shouldn't use it."

"How did you unlock it?"

"I don't know. After I thought Filo got eaten, I sort of...lost it. Everything went dark, and it asked if I hated everything."

Ren looked up at the shield hero. "_Do_ you hate everything?"

He shook his head. "No, but at the time I felt like I did. I think the shield was trying to take over while I was mentally unstable, or something."

"Hmm..."

The two sat there in silence for a short time, pondering the events of the day. If Naofumi's group hadn't been there, Ren might not have defeated the dragon at all. If Ren's group hadn't been there, Naofumi would have had to use his **Shield of Rage** even more.

They didn't know what the repercussions were, aside from horrible burns that refused to heal.

With a sigh, Naofumi turned back toward the cave. "Motoyasu's power up method is Smelting. Basically, as long as you have ore, you can get a chance to upgrade a weapon form. Every time it succeeds, the chance of failing increases."

"Why are you telling me this?" Ren asked.

"We need to be as strong as possible if we want to survive all of this. As much as it seems like one, this world isn't a game." Naofumi said, running his hand over the shield. "There's no way something like _that_ was part of a game..."

Ren was silent, and Naofumi walked back into the cave. His mind was heavy with stress and guilt as he laid down beside Raphtalia. She had already fallen asleep, and her breaths were deep.

"'_I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry...'"_ he whispered.

A lone tear rolled down his cheek.


	8. Chapter 9 (rewritten)

**NICO NICO NII**

**First off, I'd like to apologize for the slow update on this chapter. It took **_**way**_** longer than I expected, mostly because I found that chapter 8 in the original writing was absolute crap and the changes I've made caused it to make absolutely zero sense.**

**Sooooooo I had to rewrite the entire chapter from scratch for the most part.**

**Going forward, some of these chapters are going to be complete rewrites like this. It's painful, but it's satisfying to finish them and know that the story is a million times better than it was.**

**Hope you all enjoy chapter 9's rewrite, and feel free to review!**

Naofumi awoke to the sound of coughing. He shot up, looking around in a panic before noticing Raphtalia beside him. "Raphatalia, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm - _*cough!*_ \- I'm fine, Master Naofumi."

He shook his head. "You don't sound good. These burns...They don't seem normal."

"They're cursed."

"Huh?" They turned their heads toward the wizard from Ren's group. He held a small bottle out to the hero. "What's this?"

"Holy water, though it's fairly weak. I was saving it for Lord Ren, but..." The man looked to the side with a sigh. "You protected him, and in doing so you protected us. Consider this my personal gratitude."

Naofumi took it and his status magic identified it as **Holy Water (quality: somewhat poor)**. It looked like any other potion, with a clear liquid sloshing about inside. The wizard coughed into his hand.

"You'll want to dip bandages in that holy water for the wounds. If the curse is strong, it might not do much besides numb the pain."

Naofumi looked at him in surprise, but he was too concerned for Raphtalia's health to question his generosity. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"Thank me by not being the man I was told to believe you are."

They looked at the wizard as he walked away. Raphtalia coughed again, and Naofumi pulled some basic bandages out of his inventory. "Here, let me help you get these on. We'll-"

"It's okay, Master Naofumi. It's not bad enough to put them on now. Let's hold off until we reach a village where we can rest." she said, pushing the bandages away.

"But-"

"Master Naofumi."

The way she smiled at him said that she wouldn't take no for an answer. He sighed. "Fine. But as soon as we get to a village, I'm dressing your wounds."

Raphtalia smiled at him before getting out of the sleeping bag. "Let's pack up and get going, then. It looks like Filo is still asleep, so we need to wake her up."

Naofumi rolled his eyes. He finally got to observe the filolial's new form now that there wasn't the imminent threat of death looming over their heads. She looked more like a giant owl than a filolial, and was significantly bigger than before. In fact, Filo was big enough to carry both Naofumi and Raphtalia if she wanted to.

"Hey Filo. Wake up." he said, annoyed. She continued snoring softly, oblivious to the soft bustle in the cave. "Wake up! We're leaving so Raphtalia can rest in a real bed!"

"Mmmmmm..."

Naofumi's eye twitched as Filo scratched her tummy with one wing before going back to sleep. He left the grotto with a devilish grin on his face. A few minutes later, he returned with a bucket filled with water from the nearby river. Raphtalia had already packed up the remainder of their things, and was trying to wake Filo as well.

"Filo, you need to wake up or Master Naofumi will-" She stopped as she saw him approach. "Um, Master Naofumi? Why do you have a bucket?"

"Raphtalia, you might want to move out of the splash zone."

The raccoon quickly ran behind her master, who dumped the bucket of water onto Filo. She immediately woke up in a panic. "AH! DON'T EAT ME, FISHIES! NOOOOO! I'M SUPPOSED TO EAT YOU!" she screeched.

"You're awake? Good, because we're leaving." Naofumi said with crossed arms. Raphtalia pouted at him.

"Did you really have to do that?"

"No. But it worked, didn't it?"

She sighed. "I suppose."

Filo calmed down enough to realize that she was _not_, in fact, being eaten by her lunch. After she shivered, she shook out her feathers and soaked everyone standing nearby. Raphtalia had cleverly hidden behind her master, so Naofumi was the only one dripping from head to toe.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Filo announced.

'_I swear I'm going to fry that bird for dinner.'_ Naofumi grumbled, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes. "Come on, you two. Ren's group is already about to leave, so we should too."

The sword hero was waiting for them at the grotto entrance along with his party. "Naofumi, what happened to you?" he asked, head cocked to the side.

"Nothing. Just a wake-up call gone wrong."

"I see. Well, we're heading back to the capital to turn in this quest. What will you do?"

Naofumi shook some more water out of his clothes. "Probably head for Siltvelt. I might not get screwed within the first day of being there, so it's worth a shot at least."

Ren nodded. "Good luck. Based on what I've seen, you're not as bad a person as the princess made you seem."

The martial artist girl in his party huffed out a smile. "A bit of a jerk, but you haven't tried a single thing on any of us girls. You're okay in my book, at least."

"If Lord Ren trusts you, then I shall as well."

"Yeah! What they said, or whatever."

Raphtalia smiled at the incredulous look her master had. "See? Not everyone in Melromarc hates you."

Naofumi managed a smile. "Thanks. We might be back in Melromarc eventually, but probably not for a while."

"Stay safe." Raphtalia added with a smile. As the sword hero's group left, Naofumi and his two party members did the same. It took nearly two more days of travel to pass the border. Even though Raphtalia insisted her wounds weren't severe now that he'd bandaged them with the holy water, Naofumi made sure to keep their pace relatively relaxed.

Only a few minutes after they crossed into Siltvelt's territory, they were stopped by a group of demi-humans in regal armor. The majority of them were wolfmen, but one had wings and the last one was a rabbit demi-human.

They immediately knelt in front of them. "Lord Shield. It's an honor to have you with us at last." one of the wolfmen said. Naofumi crossed his arms.

"And who are you?"

"We've been sent by the Council to bring you back to Siltvelt safely. We've all been worried sick since we heard you were summoned to Melromarc." The others nodded in response.

Naofumi glanced at his party members. "How far is it to the capital from here? We've been on the move for a while, and one of us is injured."

"Master Naofumi! I said I'm-"

"Only a day's walk from here. We can have a carriage commissioned at a nearby village, if you like."

The hero breathed a sigh of relief. "That would be great."

"Come, then. We don't have any time to waste." The wolfman whistled sharply, and the rest of the demi-humans snapped to attention. Naofumi was impressed by their coordination.

"Come on Raphtalia, Filo. Let's get going so we can rest in a real bed for once."

As the group walked, Raphtalia stayed close to her master's side. "You know, it feels like forever since I've heard Siltvelt's language being spoken." she mused. Naofumi shrugged.

"It all sounds the same to me because of my shield. Is it really that much different?"

She nodded. "Yes. My...parents taught me the basics of the language in case of emergencies, but I'm far from fluent. The syllables are far different from Melromarc's tongue."

"Huh. Your parents sound like they were pretty cautious."

"Yes...they were." Raphtalia's tone was somber, but she cracked a smirk at the end. "You're quite the same way, Master Naofumi."

"I guess so. You never know what can happen if you're not careful."

Along the way, the demi-human guards stayed relatively silent. The walk was peaceful, with carriages filled with goods passing by occasionally. As the sun began to reach its apex, they arrived at a nearby village.

Everywhere Naofumi looked, there were demi-humans. In fact, there wasn't a single human to be seen anywhere. _'It's so...diverse. This is nothing like Melromarc at all. It really puts it in perspective that this is a completely different world.'_ he thought.

While the demi-human escorts procured a carriage, Raphtalia looked around with a sad look on her face. When her master saw this, he frowned. _'Seeing demi-humans everywhere must remind her of her old village.'_

"Hey, Raphtalia."

She jumped a bit at his voice. "Y-yes?"

"When we get to the capital, keep an eye out for me."

The raccoon's tail flicked back and forth as she looked at Naofumi with confusion. "What do you mean? Why?" she asked.

"I don't know why, but this all feels too good to be true. In Melromarc we had to fight for everything we got, but here we're just being escorted to the capital? I can't help but be suspicious."

"A-alright...If you say so, I'll be extra careful."

It only took a few minutes for the escorts to have a carriage purchased. Naofumi examined it with a raised eyebrow. _'It's nothing special, but it should do the trick to get us around a little easier.'_

"Master! Can I pull it? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaase!?" Filo pleaded, circling the wagon in excitement. Naofumi turned to the escorts.

"Is that alright?"

The main wolfman nodded. "That is acceptable. Come. We should arrive at the capital gates within the next two hours."

"You hear that, Filo? Go ahead and get in front so you can pull it."

"Yay! My own carriage!" The filolial walked in front of the carriage and grabbed the harness with her wings. "Everyone get in and we'll go super fast!"

Everyone hopped in the spacious carriage. Filo immediately started sprinting down the pathway at breakneck speed. Naofumi and the others bounced around on the inside, barely able to stay seated. "Filo, slow down!" the hero shouted.

"Y-yes! Please slow your pace or I'm-" Raphtalia cut off as she felt bile rise in her throat. "I'm gonna be sick!"

"FILO!"

"'Kay..." Filo reluctantly slowed her speed until it was a quick trot rather than a sprint. It was already too late for Raphtalia, who held her stomach in agony.

"Master Naofumi, I don't - URP - I don't feel so good..."

He sighed. "Please hold on until we make it there, would you?" He gently rubbed her back, and she leaned over until her head was on his lap. He didn't know what to do with his hands, so he settled for rubbing up and down her sides.

"I'll try...This position is much easier to handle. I-is this okay?" she asked, glancing up at him with a fierce blush.

He averted his eyes. "Just don't puke on me."

Naofumi could feel the calculating eyes of the escorts all over him, but he did his best to ignore them. Now that Filo was going at a reasonable pace, the ride was much more comfortable. It gave him plenty of time to think.

'_First things first, I need to figure out what this 'council' wants with me. Second, I need to figure out what I can get out of them. Third, I need to know what they're going to want in return. Lastly, I need to get stronger holy water for Raphtalia so we can heal her wounds.'_

Nodding to himself with each mental note, Naofumi glanced down at Raphtalia. She was so still that he could have mistaken her for being asleep if it weren't for her tail occasionally flicking. He found himself smiling softly.

The trip passed in relative silence, with the escorts saying absolutely nothing. The only sounds were the crunching of the carriage wheels on the path and Filo's constant humming. She seemed so happy to be pulling the wagon that Naofumi didn't have the heart to ask her to be quiet. Occasionally, an escort that was sitting up front would point her in the right direction.

"Master, look! I see a big city up ahead!" the bird announced. Naofumi crawled to the front of the carriage and marveled at the sight.

"That's the capital, Lord Shield." the escort said. "Once we arrive, we'll take you right to the council. They're very eager to finally meet with you in person."

"Is that so?"

The gates were guarded by two massive elephant therianthropes. The term was explained to Naofumi as they entered the capital, and he hummed in acknowledgement. Supposedly, demi-humans who appeared closer to beasts were considered therianthropes.

As the escort up front gave directions, the rest of them filed out of the carriage before getting people off the path. "Out of the way! The Shield God has finally arrived! Move to the sides!" one shouted.

The townspeople chattered and whispered amongst themselves as they all watched the carriage. Raphtalia and Naofumi peeked out the back of the wagon and saw a massive crowd of people growing and following them. Some people fell to their knees and prayed for salvation or safety.

"They seem very excited to see you, Master Naofumi." she noted.

He shrugged. "It's annoying. Look at them, praying to me like I'm some kind of god." He scoffed. "It's stupid if you ask me."

"You don't like it?" the raccoon asked, head tilted to the side. She allowed the flap on the back of the wagon to close, shrouding them from the public eye.

"It just puts me on edge. It feels like everyone here has expectations that are so high I could never meet them. I'd rather just do what I need in order to survive."

"If you say so..."

The crowd of people continued to grow as their carriage slowly paraded through the capital. The city was beyond massive, being at least as large as Melromarc's capital city. Naofumi was never one to care about architecture, but the buildings were shaped much differently than anything he'd seen before.

Even the doorways were much larger, probably to accommodate demi-humans or therianthropes of significantly larger size. It was interesting to see everything be so different, but also seem so normal despite it.

After an agonizing half hour, they arrived at the castle gates and got out of the carriage. "Come, Lord Shield. The council awaits." the wolfman said. As they entered the castle, the group was immediately brought to a massive conference room. The escort knocked three times then opened the door.

Naofumi looked around at the room's occupants. _'Hmm...A lion, an elephant, a wolfman and more. There's a lot of diversity here compared to Melromarc.'_

"At last, the Shield God graces us with his presence!" A thin demi-human with crimson wings announced happily. "Please, come in! We've been waiting for this day for far too long!"

Naofumi and his group stood across from the council. "So what did you want me for?" he asked.

"So industrious, Lord Shield! But there will be plenty of time for us to discuss business after dinner."

The hero crossed his arms. "Enough with the 'Lord Shield' and 'Shield God' crap. My name is Naofumi Iwatani."

"As much as it honors me to call you by your given name, it is simply unacceptable! To put myself on your level is the height of folly!" the winged man cried. "Oh but where are my manners? My name is Werner, and I'm the representative of the Shusaku."

"Nice to meet you, or whatever."

Raphtalia slapped his arm lightly. "Master Naofumi, please don't be so rude!" He merely rolled his eyes.

A lion therianthrope approached and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Lord Iwatani. My name is Jaralis. It's truly an honor to meet you in person. I hope that you enjoy your time here in Siltvelt."

"We'll see about that, but thanks." Naofumi said. "This is Raphtalia, and this is Filo. First things first, I need to-"

"As I mentioned, we can conduct business later." Werner interrupted with a smile. "Please, would you grant me the honor of showing you around our fair city?"

Naofumi looked at Raphtalia, who nodded. "Sure, I don't see why not. As long as we make a stop somewhere to get some holy water. Raphtalia has a curse, and the holy water we were given isn't strong enough to heal it completely."

"A curse?" Jaralis raised a furry eyebrow.

"Yeah. We fought off a dragon, but it came back to life somehow." Naofumi refused to say that he was the cause of Rapthalia's injuries. _'If they find out that I'm capable of cursing people, they'll probably panic. Better for them to just think a dragon did this.'_

Werner breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. For a moment, I entertained the thought that the Wise King of Melromarc was at fault."

"Wise King?" Naofumi scoffed. "I don't know if we're thinking about the same person, but the old man on that throne is far from wise."

The winged man nodded. "Indeed. Aultcray Melromarc is one of our most dreaded foes. He single-handedly turned the war in their favor nearly a decade ago. However, his single-minded hatred of our people is detestable. We're very fortunate that you decided to come here of your own free will."

"Trust me when I say anywhere is better than there."

"I believe it! Come, Lord Shield! Let me show you around the city. We will reconvene here in a few hours for dinner, then we can handle business." The Shusaku folded his hands into his long sleeves and led the way out of the castle. Naofumi and his group first ventured into a market, where demi-humans of all types bustled about.

"This is the center of the market district." Werner said, gesturing to a few different shops. "Right there is one of my personal favorite taverns. The food is absolutely to die for, though the food pales in comparison to that of our castle chefs. Over there is the blacksmith's shop, where you can get pretty much anything you need to protect yourselves. And over there is a tailor's shop."

Naofumi hummed in thought. "Everything all in this market square? What about the rest of the city."

"Rest assured, there are other markets within the city. This is simply the largest one, and it has the most variety of goods and services available. However, most of your needs can be met at the castle. You may not need to venture down here very often." Werner replied.

"We're running a bit low on supplies, so we're going to buy some things while we're here. Come on, you two." he said, gesturing to his companions.

"Ah, wait just a moment! I'd be delighted to come with you, even if they're just errands." Werner invited himself with a smile. Naofumi groaned.

'_Is he really going to follow us everywhere we go? Some tour guide he is, not letting us do our own thing without supervision.'_ he thought. The man was kind, but he was starting to get on Naofumi's nerves.

As they walked into the blacksmith's shop, they were greeted by a large demi-human with dog-like ears. "Welcome to - Oh! Lord Werner, what's the special occasion for your visit?" she asked with a smile.

The winged man waved. "Greetings! As I'm sure you've heard, the Shield God has arrived in our fair city."

The woman's eyes widened. "I-is this him!?"

Werner's proud smile was blinding. "Yes! This is our heavenly savior, Naofumi Iwatani!"

She bowed deeply. "I-I'm honored that you chose my shop, Lord Shield! Please, have a look around! If there's anything I can possibly help you with, please just say so!"

Naofumi grunted. "We're going to need our armor repaired and new weapons. Ours are getting a bit outdated, so we need an upgrade."

"Of course! As long as you can pay for the materials, I won't charge you at all for the trouble! It's the least I can do!" The blacksmith had sparkles in her eyes as she looked at him, just like the townsfolk from earlier. However, this time it had a different effect on him.

The hero smirked. _'If everything here is cheaper, that'll make my life a hell of a lot easier.'_ He could feel Raphtalia's eyes boring into the back of his head, but he pointedly ignored it. If she got on his case for taking advantage of people who were _fully willing_ to provide him with goods and services for little to no cost, then he needed to teach her better.

"That sounds good to me. Raphtalia, go pick out a sword you like. Filo...Do you see anything you might use?" he asked. The filolial glanced at the weapons and armor adorning the walls, then shook her head.

"Hmm...nope! All of this stuff looks shiny and new, but I'd probably do better with my feet!" she exclaimed. Naofumi shrugged, completely ignoring the blacksmith's bewildered expression. Most people have never seen a giant filolial that can talk, so it wasn't very surprising that she would be in shock.

"I should have known. We'll have to think of something."

"P-pardon my interruption, Lord Shield, but have you considered metal claws for your filolial?" she offered. "I'm sure I could create a good set if you give me a few days, but I would need to make sure they fit."

He thought for a few moments. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. What do you think, Filo?"

"I'll try!"

"Good. We'll get a set of claws for her, then." Naofumi said, looking around. "I also need to take a look at your shields before we go."

Raphtalia ended up choosing a vicious-looking saber whose blade curved a bit. The craftsmanship was far different from anything Naofumi had seen in Melromarc, but it looked top-notch. He ended up copying all of the shields available, much to Werner's and the blacksmith's surprise.

'_None of them are particularly special, but every new shield makes me a little bit stronger. When I have a bit of time to think, I really need to put those weapon power up methods to work.'_

He also picked up an axe that fit in one hand. The weapon felt a bit heavier than the old sword he was using, but it was definitely higher quality. During the fight against the dragon, he'd dropped his weapon because it was practically useless against his opponent. Afterwards, he was so worried about Raphtalia that he hadn't bothered to pick it back up.

It wasn't much of a big loss, though. A weapon that couldn't hurt his enemies was useless to him. He just hoped that wouldn't become a recurring theme, or his ability to actually use weapons would be pointless.

"Excuse me, my lord. But what use do you have for that weapon?" Werner asked with a curious expression. "Are you planning to chop trees in the forest?"

Naofumi shook his head. "No. Most of the time, I just like to have one on me so nobody tries to mess with me."

"But you can't use it in combat, so it serves no practical use for you."

He fixed the Shusaku with a light glare. "What if I told you that I _can_ use it in combat?" Raphtalia flinched at her master's tone. It was the same challenging voice that screamed 'I'm doing this and you can't stop me'.

Werner felt a small bead of sweat drop down his brow. "T-then I suppose that's that, then. I was under the impression that heroes could only use their artifact, meaning that the shield hero could not wield a sword or an axe."

"You heard wrong, apparently."

Werner dropped the subject, but occasionally Naofumi could feel the man's eyes boring into the back of his skull. _'Of course he'd be suspicious. It's a well-known fact that heroes can't use other weapons, so seeing me able to use them would make anyone doubt whether I'm really the shield hero. But there's nothing I can do about it now.'_ Naofumi thought.

After they dropped their armor off for repairs, the group continued their tour through the city. Werner was enthusiastic about each and every place they visited, but he clung to them like glue. Even when Naofumi tried to sneak away, the winged man seemed to find him with relative ease.

After nearly an hour of wandering the streets, Werner brought them to a large church. Naofumi looked up to see a massive crest of a shield emblazoned with gold on the door.

"Here we are! I'm sure the priests and nuns will be delighted to have you here, my lord!" Werner exclaimed. "It's important that you register at the dragon hourglass here. There is a wave coming in a few days, and your presence would help the soldiers' morale tremendously. While we're here, we can procure the highest quality holy water for Miss Raphtalia's wounds."

Naofumi nodded. "Good. I was worried you'd forgotten."

The winged man looked offended. "Of course not! The shield hero is revered as a god in Siltvelt, so he and his companions must be treated with the utmost respect and care."

"As long as Raphtalia is taken care of, I don't care what you all think of me."

The raccoon blushed. _'He's really beating himself up over what happened. It hurts, but it isn't unbearable. The fact that he's pushing so hard for my sake is...what is this feeling? I feel warm inside, but my heart won't stop pounding.'_

They walked into the church and were immediately swarmed by nuns of various races. "Lord Shield, welcome to our holy home! We hope that the furnishings and decor are to your liking!"

Naofumi waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah yeah, they're great. Could we get some strong holy water? My friend is cursed."

The nun gasped. "Oh my, how horrible! Go and fetch the strongest holy water we have, quickly!"

"Right!" One of the other nuns ran off.

"I must say, it's truly an honor to have you in our midst! To think, the legendary shield hero is finally with us!" The nuns and priests couldn't contain their excitement. Some scrambled around to adjust a rug or wipe down a holy symbol.

The entire place was covered in shield statues. There weren't even people attached to the shields.

Naofumi pointedly ignored the nun who spoke, and Raphtalia nudged him. "Master Naofumi, don't be rude. At least respond to her."

He groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Werner eyed the two with a curious glance. If one were to give a passing glance, they might think the raccoon was the one in charge. He certainly didn't act heroic, only adding to the man's doubts.

"Fine. It's great to be here, and all that stuff. The furnishings look shiny and great, and you all are beautiful." Naofumi said with a roll of his eyes. "There, are you happy?"

Raphtalia facepalmed. "No, but I figure that's all I'm getting out of you."

"You figure correctly."

"Masterrrrr! Everything's so shinyyyyyyyy!" Filo said, peering close to one of the golden shield statues to see her reflection. "Can I take one!? Pleaaaaaaase!?"

"No you can't. If you break something, I'll be the one who has to pay for it. You were expensive enough, so I'll need you to work off your debt. Pulling the carriage is a good start."

"'Kay!"

Naofumi turned to the Shusaku. "Speaking of that carriage, is there any chance we could keep that? If we need to move between countries often, it would prove incredibly useful."

Werner looked uncomfortable, but it barely showed on his features. "I-I can definitely bring that to a vote at our next council meeting. However, we hope you don't want to leave so soon!"

"It's not that. If I need to save the world, I can't be stuck in one place for way too long."

The nun from before came back with a bottle of holy water. "H-here you are, my lord! The highest quality we could make!"

When Naofumi picked it up, it was identified as **Holy Water (quality: excellent)**. He pocketed the bottle in his inventory for later. "Thanks. I'll use it with bandages later, since my shield makes it even stronger. Now you said you wanted me to register at the hourglass?"

"Yes. If you do not register at our hourglass, you will be summoned back to Melromarc the next time a wave strikes there." Werner said, guiding them to the back of the church where the massive hourglass floated.

"Interesting. So the waves are happening everywhere?" Naofumi asked. Now was a good chance to get some important information.

"Why of course! If the waves were so isolated, containing them would be relatively easy. Were you not told of this when you were summoned?" Werner questioned, raising one eyebrow.

Naofumi shook his head. "No, we were told the bare minimum and that's it. Basically the world is in danger and we needed to get stronger to protect it. That's all."

The Shusaku groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "My goodness. To think the Wise King has fallen so far..."

"You keep calling him this 'Wise King', but he's only shown me that he can turn a blind eye to evil when it benefits him."

"He was a very powerful, very intelligent man in his prime. He led Melromarc's forces against our own in the war, and his strength awarded him many victories. His reputation for overanalyzing each and every possibility to find the perfect plan is how he earned the nickname 'The Wise King of Melromarc'."

The hero huffed. "Not so wise anymore, it seems."

"Perhaps he has lost his edge, or perhaps his hatred has blinded him. Regardless, we must correct his mistake by informing you of everything you need to know."

Naofumi registered to the hourglass, and the timer in the corner of his HUD changed. _'So I won't get summoned to Melromarc's wave, but the one here in Siltvelt? I suppose that's handy, so I don't have to keep going back there if I don't want to.'_

"By the way, what level are your two companions at?" Werner asked. "If you have reached the level cap of 40, we could make preparations for the Class-Up ceremony at once."

"Class-Up?"

The man nodded. "Yes. When normal people reach their level cap, they cannot gain levels until they undergo a Class-Up ceremony. For humans, level 40 is that cap. However, certain demi-human races like the Aotatsu and the Hakuko have a higher cap than that."

Naofumi grumbled. "See, _this_ would have been nice to know before!" He sighed, hands on his hips. "Raphtalia is level 34, and Filo is at 33. I'm at 35."

"You won't need to go through a Class-Up ceremony, my lord. Heroes do not have a level cap at all." Werner clarified. "We know this because of the Claw Hero, though he doesn't visit often."

The hero raised an eyebrow. "Wait, there are _more_ heroes than just four?"

"Indeed. There are also the Seven Star Heroes. They work a bit differently than the four Holy Heroes do, but they serve a similar purpose."

The dark haired man groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "At this point, I don't think the Trash King told any of us a damn thing."

"We will aim to correct his mistake, then. Come! Dinner awaits us!" Werner exclaimed with excitement. "Our chefs are considered masters of their craft, so I hope that it pleases you!"

Filo's stomach grumbled. "Mmm...food sounds good, Master! Let's go!"

Raphtalia's stomach did the same, and she blushed. "I'm quite hungry myself, Master Naofumi."

"Then let's get going. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can change your bandages."

They followed Werner back to the castle's dining room to find the rest of the council waiting for them. "Ah, welcome back! How did you enjoy our city? Magnificent, is it not?" one of the councilmen asked.

The hero shrugged. "It's different, that's for sure. I'm still getting used to not being around humans all the time."

"Oh yes, it's quite different from what you're no doubt accustomed to. Melromarc's policy of human supremacy doesn't leave much room for diversity. We here in Siltvelt embrace our differences and use them to our advantage." The one who responded was the elephant therianthrope, who sat in a massive chair to accommodate his size.

Raphtalia responded in broken Siltveltian. "It is very beautiful."

"Why thank you! We take great pride in our people and our city. Now then, let us eat!" Werner said, clapping his hands together. A horde of maids and waiters brought dish after dish to the long table for them to eat. Every possibility was covered, from meats and fruits to vegetables and other unknown objects.

Filo started drooling. "Master, can Filo eat it all? I'm so hungry!"

"Leave some for the rest of us, but go right ahead. It's a free meal this time, so enjoy it." he responded, cutting into the meat and taking a bite. The flavor was nothing to scoff at, and he found himself thoroughly enjoying the variety of food.

It also helped that he didn't have to pay a single copper piece for any of it. If anything, Siltvelt was helping him keep his finances in the black.

Throughout the entire dinner, Naofumi tried to glean more information out of the council. Every time he brought up what they wanted from him, they seemed to change topics to something completely unrelated.

After half an hour of this and a multitude of public appearances he was volun-told to have, the hero was on his last nerves.

'_Something is definitely fishy here. They're not telling me anything, and they keep telling me I need to do this and that. Do they not care about saving the world at all?'_ he thought as he idly chewed on a fruit that tastes like citrus. Filo was busy gorging herself full of food at a pace that trumped everyone else combined. Raphtalia looked to be enjoying the meal as well, though her table manners were definitely showing compared to Filo's barbaric feasting.

After they were done eating, Naofumi was approached by a maid. "Lord Shield, allow me to escort you to your bath."

"A bath?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, my lord. It is critical that you're refreshed and-"

"No. I'm changing Raphtalia's bandages first." He shot her down instantly. "After that, we'll see."

"We can have our healers-"

Naofumi stood up, silencing the room. "I'm doing it myself. If you don't like that, then that's too bad. Just show me to my room where we're staying."

"A-as you wish, my lord." The maid bowed repeatedly before guiding them through the castle. After a few minutes, she stopped outside of a room. "Here is your bedroom, my lord. The rest of your companions will be staying in a different room further down the hallway."

"No they're not."

"The room is symbolic. It's intended to only be used by the shield hero. If anyone else stayed in there, it would be like saying someone is his equal."

Naofumi brushed past her and opened the doors. "Raphtalia and Filo are both my equals in every way. If you can't accept that, then that sucks for you. Come on in, you two. Raphtalia, sit down on the bed so I can help with those bandages."

"But my lord-"

"That's enough of that crap. I'll find you if I need you." Naofumi waved her off.

"I'll be back for your bath later, then." The maid reluctantly left. Raphtalia sat down on the bed and rolled up her sleeves. Filo busied herself with looking around the huge room.

"Did you have to be so rude, Master Naofumi? She's only trying to help." the raccoon said. He shook his head as he pulled out the bottle of high quality holy water.

"She was getting on my nerves. They all are." He pulled out a small dish and poured the water into it. "They keep treating me like I'm some kind of object to parade around the town. I'm supposed to help save the damn world, not give motivational speeches."

Raphtalia winced as she peeled the bandages off one by one. The flesh beneath them was still blackened by the curse, but the burns were gone for the most part. "I suppose I understand how you feel. Everyone has been nice to us so far, but they seem...odd."

Naofumi dipped a bandage in the holy water and gently wrapped it around Raphtalia's arm. It hissed as the curse was slowly lifted. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Y-yes. The parts you bandage heal very quickly."

"Good. Hopefully this stronger holy water will get rid of the curse after a few days." he responded. "And I agree that something's off. Did you notice how they wouldn't tell me anything about getting stronger or having me help them during the wave?"

She nodded. "I only understood parts of it, but they did change the subject quickly whenever you brought it up." She leaned in closely to whisper. _"Do you think they're plotting something?"_

"_I'm not certain. They could just have their priorities out of order, but we need to stay on our toes."_

"Master, look at this!" Filo shouted, pointing her wing to a shield on the wall. "This shield looks weird!"

The hero glanced up at it. The shield looked more like a ceremonial prop than something to protect oneself with. Though it had an extravagant design, it had a few dents and looked like it had seen quite a bit of use. "Grab that for me, would you Filo?"

"'Kay!" She brought the shield over to him and he held it. Using his weapon copy system, he managed to acquire a new shield.

**Shield of the Beast King: conditions met**

**Shield of the Beast King 0/80: ability locked**

**Equip Bonus: Therianthrope abilities up (large), Demi-human abilities up (large), skill "Beast Transformation Assist" "Territorial Reform".**

**Special Equip Effect: Power of Devotion**

Raphtalia gasped. "Master Naofumi...I'm not sure what just happened, but I feel lighter somehow."

'_So it isn't just a prop after all.'_ he wondered. "Take a look at your status for me."

After a moment, her eyes widened. "M-my stats have all increased! Some of these are nearly double what they were before!"

Naofumi chuckled to himself. "King of Beasts, huh? If that's me, that makes the two of you my beasts."

Raphtalia blushed and stuttered. "M-master Naofumi! For some reason, that feels insulting!"

"Relax, Raphtalia. I'm only joking. Anything that makes us stronger is worth it, especially when it's free."

Now that he had plenty of time, Naofumi decided to put all the power up methods he'd learned to use. He flicked through his menu as he continued bandaging Raphtalia. _'The only ones I've been using so far have been passive, but I think it's time for me to start being a little more active in my growth.'_

He decided to try Motoyasu's Smelting method first. Deciding to power up his new **Beast King Shield**, Naofumi used some ore that he had acquired. He didn't have much of it, so the amount he could play around with this method was limited. Navigating to his shield menu, he selected the option for 'Smelting' and chose 'Yes'.

His first attempt was a failure. _'Damn, and the chances of failing were so low!'_ he thought with a frustrated huff. _'One more time. My luck can't possibly be that terrible.'_

It was.

'_Dammit! Okay, once more!'_ This time, his shield successfully powered up to +1. _'Finally! It looks like the stats jumped a little, but nothing too major.'_ He tried a few more times, and they all miraculously succeeded. Now that it was powered up to +4, the **Beast King Shield** was objectively the strongest shield he had.

'_Not bad at all. And that's only one strengthening method down. Time to try Ren's out next.'_ He had a large number of shields that were already at 100 mastery level, so he converted most of them all into energy. Selecting the option for 'Energy Transfer', he awakened the shield and unlocked its abilities.

'_Holy crap! Its stats just shot through the roof!'_ Naofumi's eyes widened. _'If I did that with more of my shields, I'd be a ton stronger!'_

He decided that taking some time to power up his most used shields would be a huge benefit, but Raphtalia's care came first. She was still sitting on the bed patiently waiting. Filo looked like she was getting stir-crazy from being stuck in a room.

"Masterrrrrr I'm bored!" Filo whined. "Can we go outside? I want to go see things!"

"We'll get a chance to explore more later. Hopefully without that councilman following us everywhere." Naofumi responded, sitting down on the bed beside Raphtalia.

"Mister Werner is very polite, at least." Raphtalia noted with a sweatdrop.

"Just because someone is nice doesn't mean they have good intentions."

She sighed. "Normally I would tell you not to be so suspicious of people, but this time I feel the same way."

A knock came from the door and the maid from before spoke. "My lord, your bath is ready."

Raphtalia smiled at him. "Go ahead and bathe, Master Naofumi. I'll stay here and keep Filo busy until you get back."

"You don't want to come with me?" he asked. She blushed at the implication.

"N-not that it doesn't sound wonderful, but we just replaced my bandages. I should give it some more time before taking them off."

He nodded. "You're right. I'll make sure you get a chance to bathe later." Naofumi stood up and followed the maid out of the room.

She led him through the castle before passing through a courtyard. They stopped at what looked like a shrine surrounded by trees. "Here you are, my lord. If there's anything else you need, I'll be right here."

"Thanks." He walked into what looked like a dressing room and removed his clothes before wrapping a towel around his waist. The maid stood there staring at him, but he tried his best to ignore it.

'_Given how they've been acting lately, they definitely want someone to keep an eye on me at all times.'_ he thought as he admired the stone scenery and vibrant plant life around the bath. _'I guess I could understand them not wanting me to go off and let their 'god' do whatever he wants, but it's such a pain in the ass.'_

He rinsed himself before slowly submerging himself in the water. Naofumi sighed and leaned against the wall as the warm water soothed his muscles. _'I need to find a way out of those public appearances, though. Save that crappy job for some war general or a politician, not me.'_

After a few minutes of soaking, the maid cleared her throat. "Your harem has arrived, my lord."

"Huh?" Naofumi turned and what he saw made his eyes widen. "What the fu-"

"We're so glad you're finally here, Shield Hero!"

In front of him was a smorgasbord of women, all clad in their birthday suits. From bat-like demi-humans to elephant therianthropes, they seemed to cover nearly every option.

"Please pick which one of us you like most, and we'll accompany you back to your room!" one said excitedly.

The hero's eye twitched. "Like hell I will! Get out of here, I'm trying to relax!"

"Aww, he's nervous! Don't be scared, Shield Hero! We don't bite!"

"Unless that's what you're into." another responded, causing the girls to break out into high-pitched laughter. Naofumi scrambled away as they approached, breasts bouncing with every step.

"Stay back! I don't want this at all!" he shouted.

The girls just giggled in response. "Please let me bear your child, Shield Hero!" The one who spoke looked like she was just a child, and it made Naofumi want to puke.

"What the fuck!? Hell no!"

"Don't be so stingy! Let's have some fun!"

Naofumi was reminded of his betrayal at the hands of Malty Melromarc, and it made him sick to his stomach. _'They don't even want me for me! They just want me because I'm the shield hero! No way am I doing this with anyone! I'd rather die!'_

"No thanks!" he shouted.

"Ugh! Come on girls, let's get him!" One of the girls gave the command that made everything fall into chaos. As they got into the bath, Naofumi leapt out and ran for his clothes. However, one of the girls had already stolen them and was-

'_What the hell!? Is she sniffing my clothes!?'_

"Hey! Give me those!" he screamed, yanking on them as he passed. The woman resisted and they were stuck in a short tug of war.

"If you won't let any of us have you, then let me have these!" she cried. Naofumi realized that the other girls were closing in on him quickly, and he relented.

"Fine, keep the damn clothes! I'm out of here and I'm never coming back!" he yelled, wrapping his towel around his waist and running out of the courtyard. The maid panicked as the horde of naked women sprinted after him.

Naofumi was fast enough to evade capture, thankfully. He drew curious and lustful glances from maids and other people he passed by on his way to his room. _'If I can just get back there, Raphtalia and Filo can get us out of here somehow!'_ he thought frantically.

"Come back, Shield Hero! We haven't had our fun yet!"

The shouts of the women sounded through the halls, spurring the hero to run even faster. "This is sexual assault, you know!?"

"You'll be drowning in ecstasy once I'm done with you!"

"Gross!" Naofumi didn't know the castle as well as he wanted at this point. All of the hallways looked so similar that it was hard to tell where he was going. He didn't even have clothes on, so he didn't exactly feel comfortable sprinting through an unknown castle.

He passed a perpendicular hallway and moments later, he heard the anguished cries of the girls behind him. "Agh! Who tripped me!?"

"Tripped you!? You just fell! Now look, he's getting away!"

Naofumi didn't wait to thank his mysterious benefactor, continuing to run in search of his room. After a short while, the sounds of the harem were growing softer. The hero sighed in relief as he took a moment to breathe.

"_Psssst. Master Naofumi!"_ He jumped at the voice that came from right beside him. The air shimmered before Raphtalia came into view. _"Are you okay!?"_ she asked with concern.

"_Do I look okay to you!?"_

"_They didn't hurt you, did they?"_ The raccoon was staring down at his abs with a dark blush, but she shook her head. _"And what happened to your clothes? I thought you were taking a bath!"_

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. _"That's what I thought, too! Apparently they think I want to bang every woman in a two mile radius!"_

"_WHAT!?"_

"_I know, right!? Let's grab Filo and get out of this place!" _Naofumi said. _"If you use __**First Hiding**__ to make sure they don't find me, we should be able to-"_

"_Actually, I have something better." _Raphtalia said with a smile. _"Watch."_

"_As source of thy power, I command thee. Decipher the laws of nature and conceal us from sight! __**All First Hiding!**__"_

As her chant finished, Naofumi felt the air around his fizzle with magic. He looked down and saw that his body was completely invisible. _"Nice work, Raphtalia! Now let's find our way back to Filo!"_

"_But how? I can barely see you anymore!" _she exclaimed.

"_Here, grab my hand so we don't get separated."_ Naofumi could barely see the outline of her body, and he grabbed her hand in his own. Raphtalia was thankful that he couldn't see the fierce blush on her cheeks. _"Come on, let's go."_

"_R-right."_

They wandered the halls of the castle for a short while, still uncertain of where they were going. A few times, they had to push up against a wall to avoid bumping into a passing maid or something. They were lucky that nobody was expecting them to be invisible, so Raphtalia's illusion magic proved to be surprisingly useful.

"_I think that might be the right one. The door looks different from the others."_ Raphtalia whispered. Even if he couldn't see her pointing at the door, he could easily tell it apart from the rest.

"_Almost free from this madness."_

"_You're telling me."_ Raphtalia mumbled to herself. Nearly every time they had to press up against a wall, her master's towel-clad body leaned against her. For reasons she still couldn't fully understand, she _liked it._

Was it the excitement of sneaking around a castle at night? Did she like the adrenaline rush of almost being caught?

Or was it the fact that it was _him_ that was nearly naked, pressed tightly up against her?

The raccoon shook her head and they continued onward. As they were about to enter the room, they heard the stampede of women turn the corner and immediately opened and shut themselves in the room.

"-me on! I think he went this way! I can practically smell him!" one exclaimed as the group passed the room. After they moved out of earshot, Naofumi shivered.

"That's so nasty." he mumbled. "I honestly feel a little violated."

Raphtalia patted his bare shoulder. "I'm sure they're just overreacting, but it may be best for us to stay in our room for the rest of the night."

"Is this not it?" Naofumi looked around the room and realized that it was, in fact, _not_ the bedroom he was given. This was made especially obvious by the lion therianthrope halfway undressed in the corner.

"My, I didn't expect the Shield Hero to be so picky about his room." Jaralis said, pulling up his pants. "Or his women." he finished.

Raphtalia allowed the spell to drop since they were discovered. "I-I sorry!" she cried. Due to her panic, the words didn't come out properly.

"Did you all send those women after me!?" Naofumi demanded, jabbing a finger at the lion.

"Past shield heroes have always appreciated having their own harem. We assumed you were no different, though it would seem we were wrong." Jaralis coughed into his hand awkwardly. "If you could, please return to your room for your nighttime shenanigans. Although I'm nocturnal, I would appreciate the privacy of my own room."

Naofumi groaned, digging his hand into his forehead. "Just...keep them all away from me, okay? I don't want any women and I definitely don't want a harem."

"I can guarantee nothing, though I'll be sure to mention it should they come by."

The hero scoffed. "Some help you are. Come on, Raphtalia. Let's try to find our way back."

"Your room is two wings to the east, past the main corridor. Take a right at the end of this hallway and go straight until you find it on your left." Jaralis added.

"Thanks."

The duo managed to eventually find their room. Filo bounded around in excitement at their return.

"Master! Sis! You guys finally came back! I was scared you'd leave Filo behind!" she exclaimed before tilting her head to the side. "Is Master playing a game where he's supposed to be naked? Filo can get naked too!"

Naofumi was too exhausted to question it, but Raphtalia stammered. "Filo...what do you mean by that? And Master Naofumi isn't playing any games!"

The filolial poofed into a cloud of smoke. As it cleared, it revealed a young girl with long blonde hair. She appeared to be about ten years old, but she wasn't wearing a single piece of clothing. "Ta-da! Filo is naked too, now! Come on, Sis!"

Naofumi's eye twitched while Raphtalia blushed a dark crimson. "A-absolutely not!" she cried. "How are you even able to do that!?"

The girl cocked her head to the side. "I don't know. I just sorta can." She gasped in panic. "Master! Do you think there's something in my head telling Filo what to do!? AHHHHH!"

The man pulled an extra towel out of his shield before throwing it on her head. "Quiet down, would you? And no, I'm pretty sure there's nothing in that head of yours at all."

"Boo! Don't be mean to Filo, Master!"

Naofumi walked over to the corner of the room before coughing into his hand. "Do you two mind turning around for a second? I'm going to change."

"A-ah yes! I'm sure you're cold, running around in just a t-towel!" Raphtalia quickly spun around so she was facing away. It also conveniently hid the redness of her cheeks from him.

Within a minute, Naofumi had retrieved an extra set of clothes from his shield and gotten changed. Now that he wasn't running away from a bunch of naked women - some clad in towels like himself to preserve some semblance of modesty - he could relax.

"Much better. I swear, if these people don't chill out a little I'm gonna-"

He was interrupted by frantic knocking on his door. "My lord? Are you in there!?" It was the panicked voice of the maid who had been 'assisting' him earlier.

"Yeah, but I'm exhausted so I'm going to sleep."

The door busted open and the harem of women entered. "Shield Hero, please! We're already here, so just fill me up!"

"Give me your babies! I want them all!"

Naofumi was getting angry. "Listen here, all of you! I never want to see a single one of you again, you hear me!?"

"Don't play hard to get, Shield Hero!"

"We just want one night with you!"

Raphtalia grit her teeth and clenched her fists. _'I can't believe they're just throwing themselves shamelessly at Master Naofumi! He obviously doesn't appreciate their advances!'_

"Can you all please just calm down!?" Raphtalia pleaded. She was completely ignored as the women tried pushing their way further into the room. Naofumi had already used his **Air Strike Shield** to block the entrance, but it could only last for so long.

"Get the hell out of here, you horny ass women!" Naofumi shouted.

"Stay away from Master, he belongs to Filo!" the girl cried.

Thespectral shield shattered as its time limit expired, and the horde of females barged into the room. They immediately grabbed at Naofumi, who kicked and pushed to free himself.

"Let me go, dammit!"

"Never!"

"Alright that's enough!" After trying in vain to pry them off, Raphtalia had enough. She drew her sword and threw it over the group, embedding it deep into the wall. They were completely silenced.

"Are you all willing to listen now!? Good!" The raccoon was breathing heavily as rage flooded her body. "Master Naofumi has said many times that he wants nothing to do with any of you! I don't care if you want his children!"

"B-but-"

"No buts!" Raphtalia snapped. "He's your Shield God, is he not!? Then why are you trying to decide what's best for him!? Unless it's not about him at all! All you want is to bear the Shield God's child!"

The women stood fast. "So? What's wrong with that!? It's every girl's dream to have a hero's child!"

"_So_, you need to realize that isn't what he wants! Master Naofumi is still recovering from some trauma-"

"Who cares!? All I want is for him to give me a kid! He can leave after that!"

"Don't I get _any_ say in all of this!?" Naofumi shouted. "This is just ridiculous!"

"No! Now get those clothes off and give me that d-"

"ENOUGH! OUT OF MY WAY, YOU SLUTS!" Raphtalia screamed, using all of her strength to rip through the crowd and snatch her master away. "HE'S MINE, AND THAT'S FINAL! ALL OF YOU HUSSIES CAN TAKE A HIKE! I'VE ALREADY CLAIMED HIM AS MY OWN!"

"So what!? You can share!"

The raccoon reached up and grabbed her sword out of the wall, waving it threateningly. "You're all just a bunch of whores! A bunch of smelly whores with overdone makeup and no morals! Leave at once before I get violent!"

Naofumi stared at his companion with wide eyes. _'Damn...'_ he thought, impressed.

'_I raised that girl. I didn't think she had something like this in her at all. It really feels...good. And...a little hot? No no no, get rid of that thought, now! But...she said she claimed me as her own. When did _that_ happen? And why does it make me feel so strange? Why do I _like_ that feeling?'_

"What's going on in here?" Werner, clad in pajamas, entered. "I wasn't expecting such a racket on the first night you were here, my lord."

"Oh thank god. Get these crazy women out of here! I'm trying to sleep!" Naofumi cried. The Shusaku clicked his tongue.

"Girls, I believe he's made himself very clear."

"Aww..." They all looked down in shame as they filed out of the room one by one. One of them almost came back inside, but a harsh glare from Werner stopped her. As soon as they were all gone, the councilman looked at the hero with panic in his eyes.

"You have my deepest apologies for their intrusion on your evening, my lord! I'd informed the council that you may not have interest in such things, but they overruled me by majority vote."

"_Majority vote!?_ The majority voted for me to get molested on my first night!? That's unforgivable!" Naofumi yelled in anger.

"P-please calm down, my lord! I-I assure you it won't happen again!"

The man huffed. "It better not. I'm going to sleep." He was about to close the door but the maid held it open for a moment.

"I know this may be uncomfortable for you. But if you consider your raccoon companion as your lover, it may get the council off your back. However..." she trailed off.

"What?" Naofumi asked, completely missing the crimson blush on Raphtalia's face behind him.

"If you do that, they'll more than likely vote to force you into having children. Dozens of them."

"D-dozens!?" Raphtalia cried in shock. "B-but I-I-I'm - I-I'm not-!"

"Not an option." Naofumi said with a shake of his head. "They're sleeping in here, or I leave and find somewhere else to stay."

"Y-you can't do that! If you leave without even spending a single night here, there would be chaos!"

"Not my problem."

The maid seemed to give up as she slumped. "Very well, my lord. But...please don't tell anyone I allowed this."

"You're doing very well, and I appreciate it more than you think. Go get some rest." Naofumi ordered, and the maid bowed before leaving. He closed and turned the door's lock, thankful that it even had one. "Alright you two, let's get some rest. If it's possible, I feel dirtier than before my bath."

"Yay! Master can sleep with Filo!" The girl bounded over to the massive bed and threw herself onto it. "It's so soooooooooft!"

Raphtalia was breathing heavily, her face still flushed. "I-I suppose I could sleep on the floor, if you need me to."

Naofumi shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. The bed is more than big enough for all three of us." He trudged over and slid under the covers. Raphtalia quickly changed into her nightwear before sliding in beside him before blowing out the candle beside them.

Even in the middle of the night, the sounds of bustling activity outside the castle continued. Some residents of Siltvelt, like the animals they bore similarities to, appeared to be nocturnal and spent just as much time outside at night as during the day. Naofumi found it difficult to sleep, and he settled for tossing and turning to find a comfortable position.

Raphtalia was unable to sleep for a different reason. Her heart was racing so fast that it could outrun Filo even on a good day. After nearly twenty minutes of listening to the noises outside and the filolial girl's gentle snoring, she was growing antsy. It also didn't help that Naofumi was constantly rolling around.

"Hey...Master Naofumi?" she finally asked. He rolled back over toward her.

"Yeah?" he whispered back.

"Can you not sleep?"

"No. You too?"

She nodded. "Yeah. But anyway, I-I hope I didn't make you...uncomfortable earlier." At his confused look, she continued. "You know...when I said all of those things to those women?" Raphtalia's face was horribly red, though it was barely visible in the darkness.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding? That was great!"

The raccoon sighed. "You _would_ praise me for something so rude."

"I'm just saying. You saved my ass back there big time. I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't gotten me out of there." He shivered. "I can't even think about that kind of thing with _anyone_, let alone a bunch of random girls. _Totally _not my thing."

Raphtalia giggled. "I had a feeling that was the case. You know, you're a really soft-hearted person on the inside. Even though you act so rudely to people, you really do care."

He rolled his eyes with a huff. "Yeah, right. I just hate being forced into things."

"Then..." She gulped. "Would it be okay if...if you hold me?"

Naofumi adjusted himself in the bed a little. "Why? Do you think you'll have another nightmare?"

She shook her head. "No it's not that. I just...I'm not sure why, but...I want you to hold me."

"Like how I did when you were little?"

"No, not like that." Her long hair draped over the pillow as she let her head sink into it. "I want you to hold me, but I want it to be different."

He sighed. "I don't know what you mean."

She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him gently. "Like this, sort of...I think." Raphtalia's face was burning red, and she worried that she would be too warm to ever fall asleep like this. Naofumi hesitantly wrapped his arms around her as well.

"Like this?" he asked. Her face was in the crook of his neck, and she nuzzled in closer.

'_He's so warm...' _Raphtalia smiled into his chest, knowing that he couldn't see it. Her heart was beating quicker than ever before, but it wasn't stress that caused it. At this point, she knew.

"Yeah...This is perfect."


	9. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! It's been quite a while hasn't it?**

**Over the last year or so, I've done a bit of writing and a LOT of reading. Hopefully that translates to a better story for you all to read as well as a more enjoyable experience for me. On a side note, I'm actually in the process of writing my own book now! I'm only about 8000 words in so far, but I'm extremely excited to see where this adventure takes me!**

**I've brushed up a bit on my RotSH lore and stuff, but I may still be a bit rusty.**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**As always, feel free to review!**

"Haaaah!"

A battle cry resounded over the grassy plains followed by a shrieking hiss. Raphtalia removed her sword from the body of the salamander before giving it a good flick to rid the weapon of its coating of blood.

"Good job Sis! That was so fast I almost missed it!" Filo exclaimed, bouncing up and down in her filolial form. The bodies of several other reptiles lay at her feet, their bodies misshapen and mutilated with her own talons covered in their innards.

After sharing a smile, the duo looked over to see their master facing off against a single, much larger salamander by himself. Although he was panting in exhaustion, his face held only a focused look and a slight grin.

"You've got this Master Naofumi! Show it who's boss!" the Tanuki woman shouted, encouraging her owner who flashed a quick smile in her direction. Although his confident expression caused her heart to race, she managed to force down the blush.

"Come on!" he yelled, prompting the beast to let out an echoing roar and charge in his direction. The man stood his ground, sword held in both hands off to the side and his basic Small Shield attached to his left arm. As it approached, the monster took a breath before exhaling a gout of flame and continuing its charge.

A quick dodge to the side kept the Hero safe, but the heat caused his weapon to sting his hands. He grit his teeth to ignore the pain, swinging his weapon sideways at the oncoming salamander's head. It reared itself back at the last moment, unbalancing the young man and causing him to panic momentarily.

Sensing its opportunity, the beast roared once more before swiping its claws at him. Naofumi managed to raise his Shield enough to block the blow, but the shock caused his entire arm to go numb. A second attack flung the man several feet to the side, and he wasn't given much time to recover before it was upon him again.

"Damn, let's try this instead!" he shouted, raising his large blade above his head. "As source of thy power, I order thee: decipher the laws of nature and rend the skies. **Wind Slicer!**" The wind quickly gathered around his blade before he slashed diagonally, a thin shockwave launched from his weapon straight into the leg of the salamander, slicing deep but not enough to remove the limb.

This was, however, enough to stop it momentarily. 'Now's my chance!' he thought, excitedly. With a yell and a full-bodied swing, the Hero's blade carved cleanly through the beast's head. Its loud hissing halted over the next few seconds and the monster slumped to the ground in defeat.

The spectators ran over to their master with big smiles. "Master, that was incredible! You took that big one down all by yourself!" Filo exclaimed, while Raphtalia merely looked at him with stars in her eyes.

"I -_*huff* _I know! _*huff*_ Taking them on alone is a lot -_*huff*_ harder!" he said, gripping his left arm and shaking it out to get the feeling back. The salamander wasn't the strongest opponent he had ever faced, but its attacks had a lot of weight behind them and it was quick enough to give him more than a small challenge.

The fact that his companions trusted his skills enough to let him face the creature on his own filled him with a sense of pride, though he would never admit it aloud.

The raccoon smiled fondly. 'He didn't even think of using his demon power, even when he was in trouble. We can grow in our own way!' she thought, hyping herself up. Seeing him work himself to the bones for the last few days sparked a fire in her for training that didn't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.

Sitting down on the grass near his latest kill, Naofumi brought out a canteen of water before taking a large gulp. Wiping his mouth, he leaned back with a content smile on his face. "Well girls, we're almost in Siltvelt's main city. Just another day of traveling and we should make it."

Raphtalia sat beside him, taking a sip of her own waterskin and bringing out a cloth to wipe the remaining blood off of her sword. "I wonder what it will be like; a capital city with only demi-humans..." she trailed off, uncertain.

"I wonder if there's a ton of good food to eat!"

The girl rolled her eyes at Filo's addition to the conversation. "I doubt the food will be that much different than in Melromarc, Filo. What do you think, Master Naofumi?"

Stealing Raphtalia's weapon cloth from her lap, he began wiping off his blade to give it at least the minimum amount of maintenance. His blatant theft caused her to puff her cheeks in annoyance, to which he smirked back at her. "Honestly? I don't care much about whether the food tastes good or not. I'll just be happy to not be chased around by royal guards everywhere I go."

Filo fluffed her feathers. "And we won't have to see stupid Spear Guy again either!"

The other two chuckled and giggled respectively, before Raphtalia nabbed the weapon cloth from her master's hand mid-wipe while he wasn't paying attention. At his raised eyebrow, she merely stuck her tongue out at him and began cleaning her own weapon.

"I think we can all agree on that one. If we're lucky, maybe the king of Siltvelt will actually help us somehow. That would be new."

"I think we're doing fine enough on our own, though. Don't you think?" Raphtalia asked the dark haired man, who shrugged in response.

"We could always be doing more, Raphtalia. Even if we're getting stronger every day, we need to get to the point where the waves aren't even a threat to us personally. Then we can worry more about keeping people safe."

The sun was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, foretelling a possible storm later that day. Based on the weather the past few weeks, Naofumi concluded that they were somewhere in the middle of summer. That is, assuming this world followed a similar seasonal cycle to Earth. Regardless, the grey skies did not look promising for pleasant travel.

Looking skyward, Raphtalia's tail twitched. "Master Naofumi, we should probably cut back on the training until we get closer to the capital. We only have one tent, and all three of us won't fit in it if it starts raining." Her master raised an eyebrow and spared a glance at the filolial, who cocked her head to the side.

"What is it, Master?" Filo asked, inquisitively.

After examining her for a few more moments with a hand on his chin, he spoke. "Nothing. I was just thinking how much larger of a tent we would need to keep you comfortable when the weather is bad."

"Oh, is that the problem?" she asked, earning confused looks from her companions. Suddenly, a puff of smoke later and she had transformed back into a small girl.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Right, right...I forgot you could do that..." he mumbled to himself. Raphtalia's ears twitched and she stiffened with her hand on her sword.

"Master Naofumi!" she snapped quietly, standing up and facing behind her master. He turned around to see a single figure clothed in black, fingers wrapped around a wicked-looking knife. Springing to his feet, Naofumi clutched his weapon and transformed his shield into the Darksteel Shield.

However, upon seeing the transformation, the assailant sheathed the weapon and bowed.

"Forgive me, Lord Shield. I merely needed to confirm your identity." it said with a rumbling voice, lowering the facemask that hid his features from sight. What greeted them was a strong looking Wolf demi-human with a multitude of scars adorning his face. With two fingers to his mouth, he let out a sharp whistle. Moments later, four more figures emerged from behind nearby trees dressed in similar outfits.

'I didn't sense them at all...' Naofumi wondered. 'Just who are these people?'

"I'm sure you must be wondering who we are, but introductions will come later. The Council has arranged for us to escort you to the capital immediately."

Sharing a look between his companions, Naofumi raised an eyebrow and did not lower his sword. "How do we know you are who you say you are?" he asked, threateningly.

Simultaneously, the five newcomers unclasped their sheathed weapons and tossed them lightly toward his feet. After showing that they were unarmed, they each knelt in the grass with a fist upon their chest.

"..." Naofumi gave Raphtalia a glance, and she nodded before they both sheathed their own weapons. "Fine, I suppose an escort wouldn't hurt. We were headed to the capital anyway."

The next two hours were filled with some of the fastest walking that Naofumi had ever attempted. Either these escorts were very excited to have their task be completed, or they just naturally had a very quick pace. Regardless of the reason, Naofumi had to nearly jog the entire way to keep up with them.

Raphtalia was not much better, if her flushed face and heavy breathing was any indication.

The trio looked up at the massive gates of Siltvelt in awe as they were led through the front gates. Nearby soldiers, most likely recognizing the escort, snapped to attention but remained silent. However, the extra attention being paid to them spread to the civilians going about their business, causing them to stop and stare at the unusual group of outsiders.

"Is that a human?"

"What's it doing _here_?"

"That girl needs to put a leash on him, I swear."

"What's with the little girl?"

Various things were being whispered about the group by the bystanders, but Naofumi could not hear them. Raphtalia, not wanting to concern her master, did her best to ignore the judgmental glares being sent their way.

"Raphtalia." her head snapped toward the man in question as he whispered to her. "What are they saying?" he asked, walking close to her in order to keep their voices low.

"Th-they're, umm, they're commenting on how strange we look." was the timid response she gave, fiddling with her fingers.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Naofumi sent a glare at the townsfolk who weren't even hiding their disdain for him. 'If Talus was any indication, humans must be hated with a passion here.' he thought to himself with a roll of his eyes. 'I was hoping this place would be _better_ than that hellhole, too.'

Choosing not to confront his companion about her obvious nervousness, Naofumi continued to follow the wolfmen through the city until they reached the castle gates. He noted that the more rounded and stylistic architecture of the city made it seem even more extravagant than Melromarc's own castle. A few more minutes of tense walking later, and the trio were approached by a small group of demi-humans who wore varying expressions.

A young man with backward-swept, red hair and majestic red wings sprouting from his back approached with a smile on his face. "Ah, it would seem you have finally arrived! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Shield." With a hand over his chest and a deep bow, the man continued. "I am Werner, representative of the Shusaku and part of the Council."

The man cocked his head to the side slightly when he saw Naofumi with a hand on his chin mumbling to himself.

"Shusaku...Shusaku..." he repeated like a mantra. Raphtalia failed to stifle her giggle at his behavior.

"My apologies, Lord Werner. Mas-_Lord_ Naofumi is still trying to remember all of our races by name. This is his first time seeing a Shusaku in person, so he's trying to commit it to memory." She was very careful to keep her status as a slave a secret, worried that the man would get the wrong impression of her master if he knew.

With a faint tint of red on his cheeks, Werner chuckled. "Well, I do hope that my appearance serves as a good representation for our people."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Naofumi coughed and blushed. "Ah-I'm sorry, that was rude of me. My name is Iwatani Naofumi, and as I'm sure you know, I'm the Shield Hero. It's nice to meet you." he bowed slightly, immediately causing Werner to panic.

"Oh, no no no! You do not need to bow to me, Lord Shield! Such an act is too much for a simple councilman such as myself!"

The Hero raised an eyebrow at the odd behavior, but said nothing. Filo bounded up to the man, inspecting his much larger wings with fascination. Werner followed her with his eyes as she circled him, ooo-ing and ahh-ing at them. After a few moments, she smiled brightly at him.

"You have such pretty wings, Mister!"

He chuckled, allowing his wings to stretch until they reached nearly a meter and a half in length altogether. "Ah, yes! We Shusaku pride ourselves on keeping our wings as groomed as possible, so your compliment pleases me greatly! And who might you be, young miss?" he asked with a smile that rivaled Filo's own.

"My name is Filo!"

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, then. Now, I must ask. How do you have wings if you're just a human girl, Filo?"

"Oh! It's because I'm not human!" she said, before poofing into smoke and transforming into her filolial form. If he was surprised, Werner did not show it and Naofumi gave him kudos for keeping a straight face.

"A filolial with a transformation? You are quite something, young miss! Your feathers are quite gallant and regal as well!"

"Thank you! I like this guy, Master!"

Naofumi snorted, but smiled nonetheless. "And this is Raphtalia. She's been my companion ever since I got here, and I owe her everything."

The girl blushed at the praise, but bowed. "Please take good care of us, Lord Werner."

The man smiled once more. "The pleasure is all mine. Please, let me introduce you to the rest of the council. We have all been very eager to meet you after we had heard you were summoned to the land of heathens!"

Naofumi hummed in interest. 'Land of heathens, huh?...' he thought to himself, making a mental note to learn more about the religion in Siltvelt. His past experience with the Three Heroes Church left a sour taste in his mouth, and he didn't want a repeat of that here.

An old turtle man approached and bowed slightly. "I am called Genmu, and I am the representative of the Genmu. It is good that you have come here, Shield Hero. When we heard that all four heroes had been summoned by Melromarc, we worried that our countries would go to war."

The Japanese man raised an eyebrow. "War? Why would you go to war just because we were summoned there? Isn't that the only way for us to be brought here?"

Genmu and Werner shared a quick glance that was not unnoticed by their guests, before the winged man spoke warily. "I am unsure of how much you were told, Lord Shield, but all of our countries have summoners capable of bringing heroes into this world. In fact, Siltvelt has exclusive rights to summoning the Shield Hero."

Naofumi and Raphtalia's eyes shot open whilst Filo busied herself with examining the strange paintings and accessories around the fancy council room. "So you mean..." the Tanuki woman's gaze landed on her master, who's fists were clenched at his side.

Gritting his teeth, the Hero managed to say. "...That Trash King summoned us all without permission, and he STILL had the nerve to treat me like that..!" He was visibly enraged. While Raphtalia took a step closer and placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him, both Werner and Genmu took a cautious step back.

"It's okay, Lord Naofumi..." she coaxed him by rubbing circles on his back until he took a deep breath.

"I'm okay...I'm okay. Thanks, Raphtalia."

"N-No problem."

Genmu cleared his throat quite loudly, dragging the attention back to himself. "The humans' summoning of the Shield Hero aside, I would like to introduce you to the final member of the Council."

A wolfman with luscious, grey fur stepped forward with a bow. "My name is Jinto, and I am the representative of the collective of wolf tribes here in Siltvelt. It is my honor to meet the Shield Hero in person, and if I may be so bold to say so, your group seems to have been through quite a bit."

Naofumi and Raphtalia shared another look, as the man finally released the tension in his hands. "You could say something like that..." he said, cryptically.

Either not noticing his caution or choosing to ignore it, the wolfman continued. "Regardless, it is our honor to have you finally here with us. If we had more than a day's notice of your arrival, we would have planned a ceremony to celebrate, but I hope a nice dinner will suffice for now."

The sound of a stomach growling from across the room drew eyes toward Filo, who giggled at the attention. Naofumi and Raphtalia both chuckled at her. "A nice dinner sounds wonderful, actually. We tried eating dragon meat a few days ago, but I'm not as skilled with rare meats as with more common ones."

"Dragon meat!?" Genmu exclaimed, drool visibly dripping from his maw. "You mean to tell me you've slain a dragon!? And you kept some of its flesh!?"

Naofumi blanched. "Uhh...yeah, but we didn't have any spices or herbs to go with it, so it wasn't much different than regular meat. It just smelled funny."

The turtle licked his chops for a moment before clearing his throat. "Ahem. I'm very sorry for my outburst, but pure dragon meat is extraordinarily rare. So rare, in fact, that I have not tasted it in nearly three hundred years! After the Aotatsu came to be, consumption of dragon meat was seen as taboo in our cultures."

"Aotatsu?" Naofumi inquired at the unusual name. Even Raphtalia seemed stumped on this one.

"Dragon-men, to put it simply. They tend to have horns and some scales, but most of the remaining members of their tribe have relocated to Shieldfreeden since the last war. Very few of them still live here in Siltvelt."

"Why?" Raphtalia asked. "What's so special about Shieldfreeden?"

"A topic that would be better suited for after dinner. Wouldn't you two agree, Councilmen?" Werner said, diplomatically. However, the obvious attempt at steering the conversation in another direction was not lost on the newcomers.

"Why, yes! Dinner does sound wonderful right about now. It is that time, after all." Jinto said with a smile. "I have taken the liberty of requesting our most incredible seven-course meal for tonight in celebration of the Shield Lord's arrival! I am certain you will find it most satisfactory!"

"S-seven!? Isn't that a bit much!?" the Tanuki asked, eyes wide in surprise.

The wolfman shook his head. "Not at all, my lady! It is only natural that we would welcome our chosen hero like a lord! A meal of seven courses is the very least we would ever offer to one of his standing!"

"Did someone say food!?" Filo cried, bouncing up to her master with a dazed look in her eyes. "I could go for some more of that dragon meat..." she moaned, licking her lips.

Werner laughed adubily, folding his hands into the sleeves of his robe. "Of course! Let us make our way to the dining hall at once! We would be more than happy to answer your questions after a magnificent meal!"

The meal was truly magnificent, but the councilmens' avoidance of his more specific questions annoyed Naofumi beyond belief.

Immediately following dinner, Naofumi asked them if there was a blacksmith in town who could repair some of their equipment as well as a magic store. Since he had reached level 35, Raphtalia had reached level 37, and Filo was at level 34, much of the equipment they had was horribly outdated.

Plus, and he refused to admit it to anyone but the blacksmith out of paranoia, Naofumi wanted to find out what use he could find for all of those dragon bones and scales.

However, instead of giving him a location and a map of the city, Werner actually accompanied the group onto the streets. Everywhere they went, people stared. This time, they were not staring at him in disgust at being a human, but awe at being the Shield Hero.

It was pretty hard to hide that fact when one of the councilmen is personally parading you through town.

"Here we are!" the Shusaku's voice made Naofumi jump. The man had been droning on and on about landmarks, history, and all kinds of other topics as they walked. Having absolutely no context, Naofumi was immediately lost but didn't want to speak up in fear of sounding stupid.

He would later find out that Raphtalia and Filo had been just as stumped, and had tuned the man out after a while.

"A-ah, well thank you for escorting us here, Lord Werner. I'm sure we can find what we need on our own, right Lord Naofumi?" the raccoon said, turning toward her master with a hopeful look.

His eyes locked onto hers and he understood. "She's right. We're still pretty exhausted from the trip here, so after this I think we'll find a nice bathhouse to relax before getting a room at an inn. You can feel free to head home if you want."

The winged man waved his hand dismissively before walking under the sign for the shop that read 'Kotara's metal shop'. "Nonsense! It is my honor to walk you three through our beautiful city, and I find myself so excited that I do not want our time together to end just yet! Now come! Let us procure the best equipment for the best hero and his companions!"

Naofumi and Raphtalia looked at each other in annoyance, each thinking the exact same thing.

'This guy is getting on my nerves, big time.'

However, they followed him into the store regardless. Just like Elhart's store, the walls were lined with a massive variety of weapons and shields, and the space was filled with sets of armor on mannequins. Naofumi noted that many of these weapons were forged in a completely different style than Elhart's, favoring curves and efficiency of weight rather than pure power or defense.

"Welcome to my store, my name- oh! Lord Werner, what brings you here this fine afternoon?" the owner asked in a scratchy voice. She was a lizard woman with bright red scales, and a tuft of black hair reaching her shoulders. Thin and tall, but with a defined musculature that belied the many years of working at her craft.

"Greetings, Kotara. I received word that these adventurers require only the best weapons and armor you can make. I'm sure that you would be pleased to have your work used by the Shield Hero and his companions." the Shusaku said, smirking slightly as the woman's eyes widened.

"O-oh, p-pardon me L-Lord Shield!" she stammered, accidentally knocking a dagger off the counter she had been leaning on. Quickly moving to pick it up, she walked around the counter and bowed deeply in front of Naofumi. "I-I'm the blacksmith here in Siltvelt, and my name is Kotara! Please take good care of me!"

The overenthusiastic attitude of nearly everyone he met in Siltvelt was starting to concern Naofumi. It reminded him far too much of how the nobles in Melromarc treated Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki.

'I'm starting to get a bad feeling about all of this...' he thought to himself, forcing a small smile to his face in response.

"I'm Iwatani Naofumi. It's nice to meet you."

"My name is Raphtalia."

"And I'm Filo!"

The woman remained bowed, and Naofumi sweatdropped. "I-it's an honor to meet you all!" she said.

Finally having had enough of this strange treatment, Naofumi cleared his throat. "Alright, alright. That's enough of that." he said, rolling his eyes. "Look, can you make us some new weapons or not? We've had these for weeks and they're starting to wear out."

Startled by his rapid change in demeanor, both Werner and Kotara flinched. "O-of course, Lord Shield! Is there anything in particular you're looking for?" the blacksmith asked, bowing lower in deference.

"Seriously, stand up. We're tired from our travelling and all we want to do is rest for a bit. You guys and your _'Lord Shield'_ this and _'Lord Shield'_ that are starting to piss me off." the hero said, crossing his arms. Raphtalia and Filo both looked to their master with concerned eyes.

"S-sorry about that L-Lord Shield!"

He sighed in frustration. "I'm looking for something that would work well with my shield. Since it can change shapes and sizes, I've gotten used to using both small and large swords so far. Raphtalia here uses longswords, and Filo generally just uses her talons to fight."

Werner's eyes narrowed in his direction, but because the winged man did not turn his head, it was unseen.

"Yes! I have quite a few swords on display here, so please take a look at whatever you like!"

After several minutes of examining different weapons, shields, and armor, Naofumi settled with a wicked-looking sword made of mythril. Its blue-silver blade curved at the tip along with a serrated edge on the edge near the hilt, but it didn't have any fancy designs otherwise. Raphtalia couldn't seem to find anything that appealed to her, and Filo was jokingly wearing a full suit of armor over her human form.

She looked beyond ridiculous, especially with her spinning and prancing around the room. Due to her extremely high stats, her mobility was almost completely unhindered.

The Tanuki approached the shopkeeper, who had been speaking with Werner in hushed tones as they shopped. "Excuse me, do you happen to do custom orders? I couldn't find anything on display that really works for me."

Kotara hummed in thought, one single claw to her chin. "If you have the right materials, I can make something for you but unfortunately it wouldn't be cheap. I'm the main supplier for the Council's forces, so I have to keep up with their orders as well."

Werner cut in with a lazy wave of his hand. "Oh, don't worry about that too much. Since this _is_ for our beloved Shield Hero's companion, the Council can cover the cost and give you plenty of time to complete it before our own orders."

Raphtalia smiled at him. "Really? That's so kind of you!"

Naofumi, listening in on their conversation, scoffed under his breath. The accommodations just kept piling on top of each other, and he worried that they would eventually come to collect on the debt they owed this kingdom.

The Shusaku's smile was earnest and disarming. "I'm only doing what I feel is right, miss Raphtalia. Please, do not feel nervous about our generosity. The previous Shield Hero was our savior, so it's only right that we honor his legacy by repaying the favor however we can."

Naofumi had a thought, and interjected. "If you're going to be doing a custom order, do you think you could make something for Filo as well?" The girl in question bounded up to him, now having removed the stuffy armor. "She's a filolial so she doesn't really need weapons, but maybe you could think of something that would help her?" he asked, expectantly.

"Of course, but you said she was a-"

***poof***

"...filolial." Kotara finished her sentence, staring at the large bird in shock. Turning to Werner, she received a shrug in response and sighed. "Okay...I think I can work with that. You said she fights with her talons, so maybe some sharpened metal talon-guards would work? They would protect her feet and give her talons an easier time cutting through things."

Nodding at the idea, the hero allowed Raphtalia to make her own order. She requested a straight sword that was built more for agility than strength, somewhat similar to her current blade. The shopkeeper said it would take a day or two to have everything finished, and Naofumi then took a closer look at the assortment of shields lining the walls.

"Would it be alright if I take some of these shields?" he asked, to which Kotara and Werner looked at him in confusion.

"Why would you need those if you already have the Legendary Shield strapped to your arm?" the Shusaku asked, cocking his head to the side slightly like a bird.

Instead of a response, Naofumi grabbed a white shield and held it in his hands before his own Shield released a bright light. When it died down, the original shield was gone and his Shield was replaced with a nearly identical copy, albeit with a green gem in the center.

"Wh-what just happened!? What did you do to my shield!?" Kotara screeched in panic. Without a word, Naofumi repeated the process with several other shields, gaining their passive bonuses and a skill or two along the way. Raphtalia pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned in frustration.

"Lord Naofumi, you're going overboard again." she chided, causing her master to pause while reaching for another massive shield on the wall that looked like it gave a _delicious amount of passive defense that was so hard to resist_. Meeting her gaze and seeing her judging expression, complete with arms crossed, Naofumi sighed and retracted his hand.

"Fine...Raphtalia, Filo, we're leaving."

"W-wait, Lord Naofumi!" the raccoon cried, following him as he left the shop with Filo right on her heels. As they left, Werner and Kotara both hummed in thought.

"Quite the rude one when he wants to be." Werner said, draping one wing forward in order to prune it with his hands. "Do you think he'll stay here? He seems quite frustrated despite being treated so well."

Kotara leaned back onto her counter with a shrug. "Who knows? Maybe he's just overwhelmed by it all. Besides, he's the only human in the entire city who isn't a slave. I'm sure that has something to do with it."

"Hmm..." the winged man thought to himself for a few moments. "Perhaps you're right, Kotara. Regardless, we cannot allow him to leave now that he is here. Our people need him to help us fight the Waves of Calamity. If he leaves by choice, they'll lose all hope."

The lizard snorted before picking up a cloth to wipe down a few weapons the hero's party had touched. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Lord Werner. He seems like a kind man."

The Councilman could only hope that she was right.

'Ahh this feels so good...' Naofumi almost moaned as he got into the steaming hot bath. 'After all those nights spent sleeping in tents and bathing in rivers, this is a godsend.' he thought, leaning his head against the outer edge of the onsen. Siltvelt was apparently built around a hot spring, according to the bathhouse owner.

'If it weren't for all the demi-humans, I bet people from Melromarc would come in droves to experience this. Natural hot springs are always so much nicer than man-made ones.'

"M-Master Naofumi?" came a muffled voice that he recognized as his partner's.

"Yeah?"

"U-um, so what do you think of this place?" Raphtalia's timid voice could be heard from beyond the thin wall that separated the men's and women's baths. If one really tried, they could probably punch a hole in the wall and get a nice look at the opposite gender's private places.

Before they get murdered and chopped into little pieces, that is.

"The bath? Oh it's fantastic! Have you tried putting some of the smooth rocks into the water for a bit to heat it up, then laying it on your back?"

"...Uh, no? That sounds weird, Master."

He chuckled. "Just something we used to do back in my old world, Raphtalia. It's supposed to help you relax."

"Besides, I was referring to Siltvelt in general. This place is so strange. Even though I'm surrounded by other demi-humans, I still feel so...out of place." she responded, ignoring it despite her curiosity about his home world.

Naofumi hummed, enjoying the way his skin sizzled and made him feel at ease. "It's weird, for sure. They keep praising me and I haven't even done anything yet. Werner seems a little _too_ accommodating, don't you think?"

Although he couldn't hear it, Raphtalia shook her head. "Don't you remember what Elhart said? Siltvelt follows the Shield Hero faith, completely the opposite of the Three Heroes Church from Melromarc. They praise you because you're essentially their lord and savior."

He groaned, rolling his eyes. "Ugh. I'm not sure which I hate more: being looked down on and mistreated, or being seen like some kind of god. Both are annoying as hell and all I want is some peace and quiet before the Wave hits and we have to go back to Melromarc."

Filo could be heard splashing around in the women's bath. "Raphtalia! Do you wanna go join Master in his side of the baths?" she asked excitedly.

The raccoon sputtered, and several unusual noises were heard through the paper-thin walls. "N-no, Filo! We can't do that! We-uh-we have to stay on our side!"

"But whyyyyy?" the girl groaned. "I want Master to help me wash my hair!"

Raphtalia sighed. "As nice as that sounds, we'll have to wait until we aren't in a public bathhouse, Filo. Naofumi may not be alone in there the whole time we're here."

"Boo..." Filo whined.

The hero failed to hide his smile at their antics. He truly enjoyed having companions that were so lively, but even more than that he appreciated that they stuck by him no matter what. If a dragon of all things couldn't tear them apart, nothing could.

"Hey, Raph?" 

"Yes?"

"Doesn't it seem strange that Werner was following up everywhere? It was like he didn't want us to be out of his sight for an instant." he said, getting out of the bath to rinse his hair with a nearby bucket of water.

"Hmm. He did seem anxious whenever we mentioned going out on our own, and we had to practically run away from him to get any privacy...By the way, you really shouldn't have stolen all of those shields from that woman's shop." the girl said in a chastising voice. Naofumi could clearly picture her with arms crossed over her chest and her distinct pout on her features.

Though the fact that his mental image included his companion with nothing but a towel over her body didn't help him in his response.

"I, uhh, M-maybe that was a little mean. I just figured if Werner and the Council were paying for everything, I may as well take full advantage of it, right?"

"Still, you should have waited for permission before destroying over twelve shields for their stats, Master Naofumi. I swear, sometimes you act more like a common thug than a hero." She chuckled to herself, imagining her master with a sinister smirk on his face.

"I don't get why people think I look like a delinquent! Is it the scar?" he complained. Putting a towel around his waist, he sat down in a nearby chair to relax.

If he was on the other end of the wall, Naofumi would have seen the raccoon's deadpan expression. "I think it's more that you don't see anything wrong with going too far."

"Hey! He said he was paying for everything! Besides, it's not like she stopped me!"

She sighed in exasperation, finished soaking in the bath and proceeding to clean herself. "See what I mean? For a hero, you sometimes act pretty un-heroic."

Scoffing, he crossed his arms. "It's not that I don't care, but they were annoying me with all their fancy talk. I'm just a guy who's stuck here until I can save the world, not some person that needs to be waited on hand and foot like a noble."

"Well anyway, I'm all worn out. What about you, Filo?" 

The blonde girl leapt out of the bath and quickly shook herself dry. "I'm all done! I hope the inn has good food!"

"But you just ate like two hours ago..." the brunette woman said with a blank stare.

Naofumi chuckled at them once more before standing. "Let's meet outside in five minutes, then go get a room somewhere. Luckily, Werner isn't here so we can do whatever we want."

Two short minutes later, the man walked outside to see none other than the Shusaku representative himself. The black haired man groaned as he locked eyes with the winged man, and Werner approached.

"Ah, Lord Shield! I trust that you and your companions had a relaxing soak? Our hot springs are widely known as the best in most countries!" he said, hands hidden in his sleeves and a smile on his face.

Taking a deep breath to calm his frustration, Naofumi replied while leaning against a nearby building. "Yeah, it was pretty great. We were about to head to an inn and take stock of what we have before tomorrow. We have some more leveling to do before we go back to Melromarc for the next wave, so a little more training can't hurt. Besides, I'm sure there are different types of monsters in this area."

Werner's eyes darkened. "What do you mean by 'go back to Melromarc', Lord Shield?" he asked in a slightly menacing tone. "Based on what I had heard from our scouts, you were treated horribly there, so why would you ever want to go back?"

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "To fight the Waves, what else? It's not like I _want_ to go back to that hellhole."

"You...you _do_ realize that the Waves affect countries other than Melromarc, don't you?"

The hero's eyes widened, and Werner continued. "Siltvelt hasn't been hit the hardest in the past few months, but the Waves show up here just the same. Without any of the Heroes to aid us, our casualties have been...greater than we would like."

The serious atmosphere made Naofumi think of the winged man completely differently. "So, when Melromarc summoned all four heroes..." he trailed off, and Werner nodded.

"That's right. Melromarc essentially sentenced the rest of our countries to death by claiming all four heroes for itself."

Naofumi grit his teeth, slamming a fist into a nearby wall in his anger. "That fucking bastard..! Not only does he summon all of us, but he turns me into a pariah _and_ he screws over the rest of the world!? Once I get my hands on him-" A cold wind began to pass through the alleys between the buildings, giving people chills.

"Master Naofumi!" came the voice of Raphtalia, halting his rage from leaking out any further. Filo followed behind her, smiling and waving at Werner as she approached.

The breeze settled as quickly as it came, and the man turned toward his companion while taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Raphtalia. Next time we're in Melromarc, remind me to gut that piece of trash king and hang him over the castle banners."

"Wh-what!?"

Werner coughed into his fist. "While I would have no problem with such a thing personally, I don't believe that killing a monarch is in the best interest of Siltvelt. So, I'll have to politely ask you to refrain from doing that. By the way, Miss Raphtalia, Miss Filo, did you enjoy your bath?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Ah yes! It was wonderful! Much better than the ones in Melromarc, for sure!" Raphtalia replied with a tired smile. "Though, the exhaustion of the day is catching up with me. M-Lord Naofumi, didn't you say we were going to the inn?"

"Is that so?" Werner said, hand on his chin. "If it pleases you, we would be more than happy to have you stay in the castle for the night! After all, you may want to visit the Dragon Hourglass before you head out for training in the morning. Plus, the castle beds are _much_ more comfortable than the inn's. Trust me."

After a quick look at his companions, Naofumi relented. "Fine, just make sure we each get a bed."

"Of course!"

Raphtalia wanted to protest against it, but chose to stay silent. Making her current relationship with her master, as well as the fact that she was technically his slave, known would only cause issues here in Siltvelt.

She also made a mental note to ask about relationships and the things that went along with them. When she had the time, of course.

The rest of the evening went without any further excitement. The party members were each given their own bed in their own room inside of the castle, and Filo was even given some extra food as a bedtime snack. The cooks, though they appreciated that she loved their cooking, were exhausted and wanted to sleep too.

It wasn't until he was changed into his night clothes that Naofumi was interrupted by a knock on his door. "Lord Shield? Are you decent?"

Pulling his pants up and tying the string to keep them held up, he called back out. "Yes, what is it?" he replied in an annoyed tone. "I'm trying to sleep here."

The voice on the other end of the door seemed flustered. "O-of course, Lord Shield! It's just that...umm...I have brought your companion for the night, courtesy of Lord Werner."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. 'Why would Raphtalia come in here this late at night? And why wouldn't she talk for herself?' he thought to himself.

"Let her in, then. The door is unlocked."

The doors opened to reveal not his Tanuki partner, but a beautiful woman clad in nothing but a see-through silk nightgown that left literally nothing to the imagination. Her fox-like ears and tail were on full display as she shyly sauntered up to him.

"U-umm, it's an honor to meet you, Lord Shield. I'm here to be your companion tonight. What would you like me to do first?" she asked, blushing heavily and fidgeting in place.

Naofumi's eye twitched. "...What do you mean by..._companion_?" he asked through grit teeth. The last thing he wanted before going to sleep was some woman he didn't know showing off all of the admittedly wonderful assets she owned.

He was tired and wanted to sleep, dammit!

The vulpine woman tilted her head to the side in confusion, blush still present on her face. "I-I'm supposed to be yours for the night, my Lord. D-do you not find me, umm, to your liking?"

The door had already been shut by whoever had allowed this woman into his room, and he assumed that she had run off immediately afterwards in case they got _busy_. The hero gave a blank stare at her for several seconds, inwardly enjoying the way she squirmed under his gaze.

Finally, he gave a defeated sigh and crossed his arms. "No, that's not it. So, what _exactly_ are you supposed to come in here and do?" he asked, wanting to know why that fanatic birdman thought he needed a prostitute.

"I-I was told that the Shield Hero was staying here in the castle for a short time, and that we were to provide a-anything he desired overnight."

He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So they wanted you to sleep with me." he stated more than asked.

"If that was what you wanted..."

Finally looking at her, Naofumi had to admit she was beautiful. Her red-brown fur shined in the candlelight, and her face was proportioned extremely well. He had no idea how old she was, but based on her timid attitude he had to assume she was fairly young.

"Listen, I'm not sure what kind of guy Werner thinks I am, but I don't need a prostitute...no offense to you."

The woman's fidgeting returned. "B-but Lord Werner-!"

"He can shove a stick up his feathery ass for all I care."

"But he said-!"

"I don't _care_ what he told you. Go back to your own room or something, but whatever you do, don't stay in here. I'm going to bed." Naofumi pulled back the covers on the bed. They were even softer than they looked.

"U-umm..." the fox girl looked between him and the door, unsure of what to do and who's orders to follow. If she left she would be disobeying her first order, which was to service the Shield Hero. But if she stayed, she would be disobeying her second order, which was to let the Shield Hero sleep.

"Master Naofumi?" came the savior of the hour. Naofumi sighed in relief before realizing what his current situation looked like.

"J-just a minute, Raphtalia!" he cried, frantically trying to find something to cover the woman in front of him. "Dammit, isn't there _something_ in here that could make you look presentable!?" he grumbled to himself while the woman in question looked confused.

"Are you okay, Master? You seem a little panicked. Is it okay if I come in?"

"N-no! I'm not decent, yet!" He was fully clothed, but the fox girl was uselessly standing there rather than helping him find something to avoid a horrible situation.

On the other end of the door, Raphtalia blushed at the thought of her master's naked body. His toned muscles and broad shoulders had plagued her dreams enough, and the chance to see them once more in reality caused a drop of blood to fall from her nose before she wiped it away.

"A-are you sure you're okay?" she asked hesitantly. "If you need help looking for something-"

"No no! I'm okay! It's just-"

He was cut off by the door cracking open enough for the raccoon to see into his room. Naofumi immediately froze, staring in panic at his partner who exuded a dark aura that creeped into his bedroom.

"Master Naofumi..." the woman ground out in a dangerous tone. "_Who_ is this, and _why_ is she in your room this late at night?"

Both Naofumi and the fox girl began to panic even harder, with them both trying to explain her presence. After several seconds of glaring, Raphtalia took a good look at the intruder.

'Is _this_ why Master Naofumi was okay with us staying at the castle!?' she thought, crossing her arms over her chest. She was only wearing a thin nightgown herself, but it did not reveal anywhere near as much as the prostitute in front of her.

"She, uh, she was here to-"

"I think I know _exactly_ why she's here." Raphtalia responded, cutting him off with an angry tone. "Is this the kind of woman you're into, Naofumi?" she asked, dropping all honorifics and referring to him by name alone.

"P-please let me explain!" the fox girl said, bowing repeatedly in an attempt to placate the wrath of Raphtalia. "Lord Werner was the one who told me to come here as a, umm, a...ah..." she floundered around the actual term, slightly embarrassed to be saying it aloud.

Naofumi found his voice. "She was sent here to..._take care_ of me tonight, but I just wanted her to leave so I could sleep." Raphtalia did not look convinced, but seeing that the prostitute was nodding along with the story made her sigh in defeat.

"Fine, just...leave before I regret it."

The woman had never run so fast in her life, escaping out the door before sprinting off into the castle. Meanwhile, the hero was being crushed under Raphtalia's glare.

"So, you want someone to..._take care of you_, hmm?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice that made Naofumi shiver.

'Christ, she can be terrifying when she wants to be!' he thought, beginning to sweat under the pressure of her glare. It was as if an almighty being was stepping on him and refused to relent.

"Uhh, not really?" he weakly responded. "I just wanted to sleep...honest! A maid or something knocked on my door saying my 'companion' was here, and I honestly thought it was you! Then _she_ walks in looking like, uhh...that."

A few more seconds and Raphtalia sighed before approaching him. "I believe you, Naofumi. Now get in bed and go to sleep like you said you would."

He followed her instructions, peeling the covers off of the bed and sliding in. "Good night, Raphtalia." he offered, hoping it would appease her. Instead, he felt the side of his bed dip slightly from extra weight being dropped on it and a warm body pressing up against him.

"R-Raphtalia, what are you doing?" he asked, blushing a bit as her chest pressed into his side. He hated that he liked the feeling so much, and worried what was happening to him after all this time.

"Oh, this? I'm just _taking care of you_ like you wanted."

"But I didn't-"

"Shh..." she shushed him, finger to his lips as her tail draped itself over his waist like a warm blanket. "Just go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up. Besides, isn't this much more comfortable?"

He weakly tried to argue against it, but Naofumi found it incredibly difficult if not impossible to do. In the end, he wound up sighing and relaxing into Raphtalia's arms. They were both blushing madly, but Raphtalia was too happy to let it stop her from getting what she wanted this time.

"There, that's better." she said, leaning backward and snuffing out the single candle in the room. "Good night, Naofumi." she finished, forgoing any titles or honorifics. In the privacy of their own room, Naofumi didn't even mind.

"G'night..." he murmured, before letting his exhaustion take over and falling fast asleep with his head buried in his partner's chest.

She stroked his hair lovingly as his shallow breaths tickled her through her nightgown. Raphtalia knew that she was overstepping a boundary or two by sleeping with him even though it wasn't necessary, but she found it hard to care when it felt so _right_ to do it.

Besides, it was better than risking some other hussy sneaking her way into his room in the middle of the night and doing the same.

Naofumi woke up late that morning, still snuggled into Raphtalia's ample chest. He blushed wildly, especially when he realized that she was already awake and had kept holding him until he woke up.

"Good morning, Master Naofumi." she said with a soft smile. "Did you sleep well?"

He untangled himself from her and nodded with a yawn. "Yeah, I don't think I've slept that well in a long time. What about you?"

"Same here. Lord Werner already stopped by to check on you, but asked us to meet him at the church when you woke up."

With a groan, he rolled out of bed and stretched, loosening his muscles and helping him become fully aware. Slapping his cheeks, he turned to her and smiled. "Well, let's not keep him waiting for too long. Plus, we should probably grab Filo. I don't want to know what would happen if we left her alone in this castle."

Giggling, she agreed with him as she left for her own room to get changed. They met up not long after, practically dragging Filo by the collar of her dress because she wanted to sleep longer. It took some time to reach the church, but eventually the group found Werner waiting outside for them.

In an effort to keep them for as little time as possible, the Shusaku representative hurriedly registered their party for the next wave to his Siltvelt, which wouldn't happen for another four days. However, after being asked about something called 'class changes', Naofumi was stumped.

"Uhh, what the hell is a class change?" he asked, glancing between the winged man and the massive hourglass.

"You weren't even told that much?" Werner was genuinely shocked, and it showed on his face. "Did those humans do _anything_ right?" he grumbled with an expression of annoyance.

"Well, if you count falsely accusing me of rape and torturing me as the 'right' thing, then yeah." Naofumi said with a roll of his eyes. Werner's somewhat calm exterior exploded as his wings fluffed in rage.

"Those damnable-! I can't believe they would stoop this low! To not only summon _our_ hero to aid them, but to treat him in such a manner!? If the other Councilmen heard of this, they would declare war, Waves or no!"

Raphtalia tried to calm him down. "No, no, Lord Werner! That's not necessary, I swear! If it weren't for all of that, I wouldn't have even met Master Naofumi! I'd still be stuck in a cage!"

That made the man stop immediately. "Did you say..._a cage!?"_ he asked in shock. "You mean to tell me you were a slave!?"

Raphtalia looked at her master nervously. She didn't want to oust him as a slave owner, as it was sure to reflect poorly upon him. "I was, for some time. Lord Naofumi was kind enough to free me from the slave trader when I was just a child. He raised me until I got to where I am now, and I owe him so much." She was nearly in tears as she basically recounted the last two months of her life which seemed much longer than they truly were.

Werner was critical of her, glaring at the raccoon woman for several seconds until Filo jumped in with a smile.

"Master hatched me from my egg, too! I've gotten to eat lots of yummy food ever since then! He can be scary sometimes, but he's really nice!"

The childlike honesty coming from the blonde shattered any visible anger or frustration that Werner had for the situation. "Ah...I see. The last Shield Hero was a savior for our people as well, so perhaps his descendant will continue that trend."

Clearing his throat, the man continued. "Anyway to answer your question, a class change is an upgrade that is done here at a Dragon Hourglass whenever someone reaches level 40. Generally it ends up being a large boost to a few of your stats, depending on what class you choose to change to. For example, a Swordmaster would usually receive a huge boost to your Agility stat and a small increase to your Strength. However, many of these higher level classes provide special abilities or bonuses in addition to their stat increases, so it's important to choose very wisely."

Nodding at the explanation, Naofumi took another moment to stare at the magnificence of the humongous hourglass that rotated and spun in the middle of the room. "That definitely sounds helpful, and it's good to know since we're getting closer to level 40. If we try hard enough, we may get there right after this Wave."

Noting his wording, Werner smiled expectantly. "So you plan to help us fight the wave, Lord Shield?"

Receiving smiles from his companions, Naofumi nodded. "Yeah, I figure we may as well stick around. It's better than helping Melromarc when they already have three heroes to keep them safe..." he trailed off, looking to the side with a chuckle. "Though I doubt some of them will be very useful if they have to do more than swing wildly at a monster."

At Werner's perplexed look, Raphtalia giggled. "The Spear hero in particular is...not very intelligent, to say the least."

"Uh huh..." Werner sweatdropped. "Good thing we have you three, then. Is there anything else I can do for you while you're here? I assume you will be going out to survey the land and fight some monsters today, so if there are any preparations you would like made please let me know so I can set them up for your return."

"Can you make a super delicious dinner again like yesterday!?" Filo's stomach growled as she spun in place with a smile upon her face. "It was so good that I think my mouth is ruined! I might not be able to eat normal food anymore!"

They all chuckled. "Of course I can! Dinner like it is not unusual at the castle, and you are all welcome whenever you please!" the Shusaku responded with a wide smile.

"Woohoo! Did you hear that, Master?" 

"Sure did, Filo. But that means no dragon meat today."

"Aww, but whyyyyy!?" the girl whined cutely, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance.

"We can't just eat it all at once, you know." Raphtalia cut in with a giggle. "We should save it for special occasions or when we have nothing else to eat."

"Fiiiiiiiine..."

The next three days passed without incident, though Naofumi was truly reaching the end of his patience. He, along with Raphtalia and Filo, eventually decided to remain outside of the city in order to get a better understanding of the environment as well as to avoid hearing the words 'Lord Shield' one more time. The creatures were all relatively low level in comparison to what they had been dealing with, so they did not gain a single level. However, the sheer number of new shields Naofumi received were more than enough of a consolation.

They just so happened to end up in some kind of ruined city, covered in moss from decades of isolation from mankind.

Sitting on a large piece of rubble, he flipped through his menu with a skewer of smoked meat in his hand. Raphtalia was seated beside him, reading some more of her darkness magic book and practicing manipulating the shadows. With the sun well beyond the horizon, there were plenty of shadows from the nearby trees to work with. Filo was busy clearing the area of small monsters that might try to steal their food.

Naofumi hummed in thought as his eyes landed on a few interesting things that he failed to notice earlier.

**Beginner Magical Swordsman: -10% to MP cost while wielding swords**

"**You have taken the first steps in combining magic with swordplay. Continued growth will further decrease MP cost and unlock new skills."**

**Magic of the Ancients, level 1: Allows free manipulation of affinity elements with reduced MP cost**

"**Dark knowledge of ages past allows you to cast magic without spells or incantations, but with limited effectiveness. Further development and practice may increase power and decrease MP cost."**

**Demi-Demon, Level 1: Grants access to the 'Demonflare' skill**

"**You have sacrificed part of your soul to a demon for greater power, giving you access to certain cursed magical spells that wreak havoc upon the living. Beware: excessive use may have unintended side effects such as physical pain, loss of sanity, or death."**

**Shield of Wrath: Eⅎℱ**ဧ**cŦⓈ **࿂**ńƘoⱳŅ**

Hand on his chin, Naofumi narrowed his eyes. 'The MP cost reduction and the ancient magic stuff is cool, but I'm concerned about those last two...' He thought back to what Zephyrus had told him and Raphtalia in Limbo. 'It's a test of willpower, for sure. Seeing how powerful it can be firsthand and having it usable on demand makes it hard to resist under stress, but I already promised both of them that I wouldn't use it. And if the text is all screwed up for that shield, I can only imagine it's just like before with the dragon. Better steer clear of that one, too.'

He felt the woman beside him shift slightly, laying her head upon his shoulder as a small shadow curled between her fingers like a worm. Naofumi resisted the urge to pat her soft head, but smiled. 'That's right...I won't use it, no matter how bad things get. Like she said, we'll get strong enough to never need it.'

Deciding to make use of his new skills, Naofumi took a deep breath and held his hand with his palm facing upward. Raphtalia glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, but kept her head planted on his shoulder. After a few moments, a very small breeze brushed past them.

"Master Naofumi, what are you doing?" she asked, tail flicking behind her slowly.

"The same thing you are: trying to manipulate the wind without any spells. I want to be able to use it on reaction rather than having to think hard about using magic, and the only way to do that is to practice." he said, trying to mold the wind. It went from a small breeze into a small burst of wind that picked up some nearby leaves.

Although it seemed like a step backward from some of the spells he had been casting, it was more versatile in nature and would come in handy somehow. Not needing an incantation and not being restricted to one effect means that the only things holding him back were his imagination and current level of magical proficiency.

"You have that same look in your eyes, you know." he was shaken from his thoughts as Raphtalia snuggled her head deeper into his shoulder. The sun had vanished completely, leaving the sky a dark blue dotted with the lights of countless stars.

"What do you mean? What look?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"You look happy, just like you did the night we first killed the pill rabbit. We sat together, looking at the stars and tired beyond belief." she said with a chuckle. "Though, you were a lot less handsome than you are now."

He blushed a bit, but smirked. "And you were barely four feet tall. I definitely remember." She slapped a hand onto his chest in retribution, but he merely chuckled at her pouting.

"That's not funny!" 

"Oh it's hilarious for me! Remember when you first tried wine and I had to drag you back to our inn room? I even had to help you take your boots off."

Raphtalia growled, face red with embarrassment at the blurry memory of that evening. "Grr, you're the worst, Naofumi."

He was hesitant to wrap an arm around her, and settled for placing it behind her and leaning backward a bit. "You've been calling me that a lot lately. Without the whole 'Master' thing, I mean."

She flinched. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be disrespectful or anything!"

The man laughed bumping his shoulder into her own jokingly. "Relax Raphtalia, I was just pointing it out. I actually kind of prefer it, if I'm being honest. Like I said on our first day together, we're equals. You're the one who chose to call me Master in the first place."

The Tanuki was about to respond, but a massive bird came sprinting out of the forest. "Master! Raphtalia! Come quickly!"

Startled, they stood immediately and ran to her. "What is it Filo!? What's wrong?" Raphtalia exclaimed, hand on her blade and ready to unsheath it if necessary.

"Just come on! You won't believe what I found!"

They followed her into the forest, hopping over various branches and avoiding more rubble until they reached a nearby clearing. Filo stopped them with one wing outstretched.

"Shh, they might be scared so hang out here for a minute." she said as the duo looked into the meadow to see a massive flock of filolials nibbling on the grass. They came in all sorts of colors, from pink to yellow or even blue, but none of them were as large as Filo herself.

'Must be normal filolials then, but what are they all doing out here in the middle of nowhere?' Naofumi thought, hiding himself behind a bush and motioning for Raphtalia to do the same.

As Filo emerged from the forest, they all immediately turned their heads toward her before squawking in excitement. Naofumi and Raphtalia watched them all surround Filo, stamping their feet into the grass happily as they danced around. After a minute or two of watching this, a girl with silver hair and familiar white wings appeared and approached her.

"So you are one of us. Interesting." She said, reaching up to pet Filo's feathers. The girl obliged, allowing the young girl to gently pat her. "You can have your friends come out of hiding now. We are no threat to them as long as they are no threat to us."

With a nod, the large filolial turned toward her party's hiding spot. "It's okay, you guys! You can come out now!" she exclaimed. Naofumi stayed hidden for a few more moments, but after Raphtalia stood and walked into the clearing he followed.

"So who are you?" Naofumi asked, coldly. The raccoon slapped his shoulder with a pout.

"Be nice, Naofumi."

"Tch." he crossed his arms with a small pout of his own.

"I am Fitoria, the queen of filolials across the world. And you are the Shield Hero, are you not?" the girl responded, approaching him with a neutral expression on her face.

Naofumi could feel the raw power emanating from her, and decided that she was telling the truth. "I am. My name is Iwatani Naofumi, and this is Raphtalia. You've already met Filo."

"Filo?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. "A rather lazy name."

Raphtalia elbowed her master in the side, causing him to wince and send a half-hearted glare her way. "Trust me, I know." he said.

"Nevertheless, it is good that we have this chance to meet. There is much to discuss." Fitoria said, patting one of the filolials on the head as it craned its neck into her touch. "Let us return to the ruins where you have set up camp. I will explain everything there."

Seeing no reason to deny the request, the group returned to their campsite to see the fire dwindling. Stoking it to rekindle the dying flame, Naofumi sat upon the same rubble he had been on before. Fitoria sat beside him, and Raphtalia busied herself by petting the various filolials.

"..." there was silence for an awkward period of time. Even the flock of filolials had gone silent, sitting calmly around the ruins as their queen finished her business. Suddenly Fitoria spoke once more. "You are not like the others." she stated simply.

Naofumi shook his head. "No matter what you mean by that, you're probably right." he replied in just as flat a tone.

"How are the other three heroes, Iwatani Naofumi?"

"Just peachy, I'd imagine." he scoffed, holding his head up with his hand as he sat. "At least they didn't have an entire kingdom try to kill them like I did."

Cocking her head to the side, Fitoria glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing you need to know." he replied in a gruff tone.

"On the contrary, I think I very much have a need to know."

"Why?" he growled.

"If you are to be a liability, then I will be forced to kill you for the sake of this world."

He flinched, looking at the filolial queen in shock. "...You're serious?"

"Quite. My previous master was a hero like yourself. He raised me from a hatchling, just like you did with Filo over there." she said, inclining her head toward the filolial who was now in her human form. "You are aware that new heroes cannot be summoned without the death of all four, correct?"

At his nod, she continued. "The Four Cardinal Heroes have a history of infighting and strife. Without the full cooperation of all four of them, this world is doomed. My master's dying wish was for me to protect this world at all costs. If protecting this world means killing the current batch of heroes to have a new group summoned, I will do it."

"You really mean to tell me that you'd murder four innocent people just because they don't get along?"

"Yes." she stated simply. "Tell me more about what happened between you and the others."

Naofumi groaned. "There really isn't much to tell. One isn't so bad, but he's arrogant. Another is a self-righteous twat who thinks he's always doing the right thing, and the last one is a complete idiot and a skirt chaser."

"Skirt...chaser?" Fitoria tilted her head to the side in confusion, unfamiliar with the term. Naofumi found it difficult to believe that the queen of filolials had never heard of a 'player' before.

With a snort, he replied. "Basically, his brain only knows how to get the approval of every pretty woman he can find. He believes anything they tell him, and his only priority is to make them like him. He's essentially braindead."

"Hmm..." the girl thought for a few moments before turning back to him. "Do you believe they can be redeemed?"

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Redeemed?"

"Yes. Do you think you could work alongside them if you had to?"

Naofumi took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "Ren - the Sword Hero - he isn't the worst kind of person. He likes to do things himself, but I've worked with him once before and things worked out just fine. If I had to, I think I could fight alongside him to an extent. The other two? Not so much."

At her silence he sighed and continued. "Itsuki - that's the Bow Hero - he and I have never really spoken much personally, but I'm certain he doesn't like me. The fact that I have Raphtalia technically as a slave makes him think I'm some awful person, but he knows absolutely nothing about me or my situation. He didn't defend me when I was falsely accused of a horrible crime with no evidence, so I don't think I could trust him."

"And finally, Motoyasu - the dumb-as-bricks Spear Hero - I don't think I could ever get along with him. Not only did he believe my false accuser's word without question, but he actively sought to make life harder for me than it already was. To be honest, if I had the chance, I would put him in my shoes and see how far he gets before he's killed."

Fitoria absorbed the information for a moment before standing. "So you will not make an attempt to cooperate with the other heroes?" she asked, keeping the blank expression on her face. "You do realize that I _will_ kill you if you say no, right?"

He met her gaze with his own stone-cold eyes, unflinching despite the threat. Finally, he relented with a sigh of defeat. "I guess I could give it a shot, eventually. Ren isn't my favorite type of guy, but at least I can have a conversation with him without wanting to slice my ears off. The other two will take some work, but if they're willing to meet me halfway I suppose I can do what we have to."

The queen managed a small smile, which was saying a lot considering her lack of emotions thus far. "I am glad to hear that, Shield Hero. However, I have another question for you."

"More questions? Alright then, fire away I guess."

"How well do you trust your two companions? Truly?"

The question made Naofumi flinch and widen his eyes. "Wh-what do you mean? I trust them both with my life."

"Do you really? Or have you simply let yourself believe that?" The question made Naofumi grit his teeth in frustration. "Do you think, if you were to die one day, these two could go on to fight the waves in your stead? Would they be strong enough? Would they have the willpower to do so? Or would they crumble and disappear, like a castle without its pillars?"

He had no response to that question. 'If I was gone, I know Raphtalia would be devastated but I'm not sure what would happen after that. And Filo? I have absolutely no idea what would happen to her. Where would she go? Would she stick with Raphtalia, or just...find someone else?' he thought to himself, clenching his fists at his inability to find a true answer.

"I...don't know." he relented, letting his hands relax and adopting a solemn expression. "I'm not sure what they would do if I was gone, and that scares me more than anything. I hope that I never have to worry about the what-ifs, and that I'll be able to protect the two of them with every ounce of strength that I have. _That_ is why I keep fighting: to protect the people I love."

Seemingly satisfied with his explanation, Fitoria smiled. "You have a good heart, Iwatani Naofumi. I can feel the truth behind your words. However, I must propose a challenge, of sorts."

"A challenge?" he asked, curious.

She nodded. "It was brought to my attention that another candidate for the filolial queen had been found, and my original reason for coming was to ascertain the truth of that rumor."

He snorted slightly with a chuckle. "You mean Filo?"

"Yes. She is just like me, a filolial raised by a hero. Although I have been fighting the Waves of Calamity in place of the heroes, eventually I alone will not be enough. Would it be alright if I fight her tomorrow morning to determine her strength?"

Naofumi hummed in thought. "Huh? You'd have to ask her about that. As long as you're not going to seriously hurt her if she loses, I'm not against it."

"Do you truly have such little faith in your companion?" Fitoria asked, unamused.

He waved his hand dismissively. "It's not that. I can literally feel how strong you are by standing next to you, and you're leagues above any of us by far. I doubt any of us could leave a scratch on you if we tried. Just what are you trying to prove?"

"If she is capable of becoming the next queen." she said with her neutral expression still on her face. "I have already determined that you will make an attempt to reconcile with the other heroes, so I have no need to threaten you further. This matter is separate."

Naofumi sighed wearily. "Alright alright, just do what you need to do. I don't know what kind of test you're going to put her through, but at least be mindful of her feelings. She's barely a month old, after all."

The queen cocked her head to the side. "Only a month old? Just what have you-"

"Master Naofumi! Are you two finished? It's getting late, and we need to be ready for the Wave tomorrow so you should get some sleep." Raphtalia's voice cut through the darkness, and Naofumi breathed a sigh of relief.

'Note to self: be extra generous with Raphtalia's food next time.'

Fitoria glanced at the raccoon before nodding. "She is right. Since you are here to help fight this Wave, I will move toward Shieldfreeden and Faubley to assist there in the morning. We should rest before the big fight."

Naofumi nodded, retreating to his sleeping bag for the night. However, as he settled in and got comfortable, he noticed that many of the filolials had crowded around him.

Annoyed at their staring, he spoke. "What do you all want?"

They all cocked their heads to the side, then to the other side, then squawked quietly before laying down beside him. Before he knew it, Naofumi was surrounded on all sides by fluffy birds making themselves comfortable.

With a twitching eye, he finally managed to fall asleep among their snores. Fitoria watched in interest at the scene.

With a soft smile, she murmured. "Perhaps there is hope for this world yet...Shield Hero."


	10. Chapter 11

**We're back!**

**I've found a bit more motivation to keep writing this weekend, so I've got a bit more for you than usual. Sitting at my desk drinking wine alone tends to give me some strange ideas that I hope manage to work out, so we'll see.**

**I **_**really**_** enjoyed writing this particular chapter for whatever reason. I guess I just had the motivation and the creative flair to make it seem 'alive'. Let me know what you think!**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**As always, feel free to review!**

Raphtalia awoke to the crackling of a campfire and the smell of her master's signature stew being cooked. Normally it was just a few vegetables mixed with two spices and whatever meat they could find, but for whatever reason it always ended up being delicious. Once, she had asked him what his secret was and he refused to tell her.

The one day she cooked for him, she had made every effort to outdo him but her culinary skills were no match for the might of the Shield-and-Spatula Hero.

It was still dark outside, meaning that Naofumi had woken up early to get breakfast started. The smell had awoken the mob of filolials as well, and they crowded around him as he worked his magic. He was forced to push away their beaks whenever they would wander too close to his cooking pot, and based on his expression he was growing agitated.

"Master Naofumi?" she called out to him. As he turned his head to look at her, one of the birds managed to steal a chunk of half-cooked meat out of the pot of stew. It licked the broth from its beak happily, and the hero groaned before hunching over the steaming pot to prevent any more unwanted theft.

"Raphtalia, you're finally awake! I could really use a- Hey!" he swatted another filolial away, causing it to momentarily flinch, "I could use a hand over here!"

Seeing her master in distress, the raccoon's giggles soon became full-blown laughter. He growled as he saw that he was not going to get any help from his companion. "Grr, fine! Bring me all the damn bowls you can find, then! I'll make so much food that you won't be able to move!"

The filolials squawked in joy, rushing off to find anything to assist their caretaker. The momentary peace allowed Naofumi to sigh in relief. Raphtalia unwrapped herself from her sleeping bag and moved to join him at the makeshift kitchen.

"Good morning, Master Naofumi. Did you sleep well?" she asked, wiping the last bit of sleep from her eyes with a yawn.

Naofumi furrowed his brow, the conversation with Fitoria the night before weighing on his mind. If he was being honest then no, he did not sleep well. Plus, the heat from the mass of feathers surrounding him caused him to sweat more than he would have preferred.

However, he put on a brave front and forced a smile onto his face. "About as well as I could, considering the Wave is today. How about you?"

"Not much better than you, I think. I was too nervous to really fall asleep."

The hero hummed in agreement as he stirred the pot with a wooden spoon. "Apparently Fitoria wants us to go back and play nice with the other heroes."

"What? Why!?" Raphtalia asked, fully alert now. "We'll be killed if we go back now!"

"I know. Something about all four heroes needing to cooperate otherwise the world is doomed or whatever. It was pretty overdramatic if you ask me."

"I do not think you should underestimate the danger of the waves, Shield Hero."

Naofumi and Raphtalia flinched as the voice of the filolial queen cut into their conversation. "A-ah, good morning Fitoria. Did you sleep well?" Raphtalia asked, fidgeting with her hands.

"I did not sleep, for I had to keep watch over my flock. The others seem to have taken a liking to you." she said, looking toward the hero with her usual blank expression.

He scoffed. "More like they wanted to roast me alive. They all slept so close to me that I was sweating like crazy."

The Tanuki giggled at her master's plight, causing him to pout. "You can pretend you hate it all you want, but I know that you liked it."

Fitoria stood on the remains of a stone wall, her arms out to balance herself. "I appreciate your concern for my flock and your willingness to feed them. It has been several days since they had a decent meal that they didn't have to fight over."

Naofumi growled, a retort sitting on his tongue. 'I don't _want_ to feed them! They just wouldn't leave me alone while I was making our breakfast!' he thought, annoyed.

"Also, as I mentioned last night, I will be taking my flock toward Shieldfreeden and Faubley after I assess Filo's strengths. I trust that you will handle the Wave here in Siltvelt, and I can only pray that the other heroes will protect Melromarc on their own." the queen said with a small twirl whilst still balancing on the wall.

Raphtalia looked to her master with confusion. "Assess her strengths? What does she mean, Master Naofumi?"

He shrugged, stirring the pot of stew once again. "Something about judging whether she's capable of being the next filolial queen. I don't really know the details, but from how she told me I'd assume she wants to fight Filo one on one."

"One on one!? But-!"

"I know. There's more to this than just a straight-up brawl. Isn't that right?" he asked, turning to Fitoria who nodded but said nothing in response.

"Master! Sis! We found more pots!" cried Filo, emerging from the woods with a large metal bowl in her beak. Many of the other filolials followed her carrying other utensils of massive size. Where they found such things in the middle of the forest was unknown, but Naofumi was unwilling to question it at this point.

Whenever food is on the line, a filolial will always find a way.

Fitoria used fire magic to light several more campfires, all of which were multiple times the size of the original that Naofumi had created that morning. After setting up the pots and filling them with water to boil, the hero began cooking the biggest feast ever made on the day of a Wave.

It wasn't long before every bit of meat and every vegetable or fruit was gone from the surrounding area, courtesy of the insatiable appetite of several dozen filolials. Filo alone ate enough for three of them, and Fitoria personally devoured an entire pot full of stew on her own.

Where it all went, nobody knew.

"Master Naofumi, how long do we have before the Wave?" Raphtalia asked, helping him wash the many pots and bowls that were used in the nearby river. Her sleeves were rolled up and her boots were off, revealing the creamy legs beneath.

Eyeing the side of his vision, the hero sighed. "We still have about four hours, so that's plenty of time to finish up here and head back to Siltvelt for some last minute preparations. I want to take stock of the situation before it starts."

She placed another newly cleaned bowl on the riverbank before turning to her master. "I'm still a bit concerned about this 'test' that Filo has to take."

Naofumi shrugged. "Not much we can do about it. I don't think it'll be the end of the world even if she fails, but I'll cheer her on the best I can."

Meanwhile, Filo was staring at the filolail queen with her head cocked to the side. "A test? What kind of test?" she asked, in her human form.

"I need to make sure that you are capable of helping the Shield Hero, so we will fight until either you lose or I deem you worthy of staying with him." Fitoria said, and Filo pouted.

"You can't just take me away from Master and Sis! I've been with them forever, so why should that have to change if I fail!?" she demanded, stomping her bare foot into the grass in frustration.

Fitoria shook her head. "You may not truly understand it, but you are important to this entire world's survival. You were given the gift of being raised by one of the Four Cardinal Heroes, and that means you were born with the responsibility of protecting them when they need you to."

"Protect?"

"Yes. If your Master or the Tanuki were gravely injured, what would you do?"

Filo thought for a moment with a hand on her chin. "Hmm, I would definitely take them to get help! If I had to fight a million monsters to do it, then I would!"

The queen closed her eyes for a moment and spoke. "And what if they died?"

The girl flinched and looked to the ground at the thought of her only family being gone. What would she do? Where would she go? She didn't know that answer to any of those questions, so she took the easier route.

"Then I won't let them die! I'll do whatever I can to protect them! Even if I get hurt really bad, because I know that both of them would do the same for me!"

Fitoria cracked a small smile. "Good; that was the right answer. Now, I need to judge whether you're strong enough to follow through on that. Prepare yourself." she said, creating a large magical barrier around the pair. Filo looked at the orange runes that covered the surface of the dome in awe and interest, but narrowed her eyes at her opponent.

"If you can manage to land one solid hit on me, I will admit defeat. Otherwise, you will leave the Hero and join my flock to fight the Waves elsewhere." the queen said flatly, reverting back to her neutral expression that admittedly annoyed Filo to no end.

"No! I can't leave Raphtalia alone with Master or they'll do naughty things! I'll beat you no matter what!"

Before she could transform, Fitoria held a hand up. "Your priorities are questionable, but I propose one last restriction. Fight me without your true form, and I will give you victory if you can so much as lay a hand upon me."

Filo smirked. "I'll take that challenge! Haaaah!" she roared as fiercely as she could with the voice of a small girl. Despite her small size without her filolial form, her stats were not significantly different, so her leap sent her flying toward her opponent. With a casual flick of her wrist, Fitoria sent a wild gust of wind toward the girl that sent her careening into the wall of the barrier with a painful crash.

Picking herself off of the ground while gasping for air, Filo rushed at her opponent once again. Another burst of wind came her way, but she managed to duck underneath it this time. She managed to make it within 10 meters of Fitoria before a wall of flames blocked her path and caused her to abruptly stop her advance. Seeing no other way forward, Filo stretched her arms out wide.

"**Shockwave Burst!"** she cried, bringing her hands together in a loud clap that produced a massive wave of enhanced wind. For the moment that it created a hole in the wall of fire, Filo took advantage and rushed through it only to hit another barrier directly in front of her opponent. She slumped to the ground with a groan, watching the filolial queen repel her with little to no effort whatsoever.

"As I expected, you have good instincts for battle but lack the power to make full use of them." Fitoria judged, hand glowing from her use of magic. Filo beat her fists against the barrier repeatedly, unable to break through. "Your tenacity is admirable, but it is hopeless. You simply cannot break my barrier."

"No! I won't give up! I won't let Master and my sister down!" Filo cried, pounding her fists and feet against the barrier with all of her might. However, it wasn't enough.

With a small sigh, Fitoria adjusted the barrier to instead trap Filo in a small dome. The girl continued to fight against it, but could do little against its defenses. "It would seem I was wrong about you. Perhaps you are not fit to be the next queen."

"That's a lie and you know it!"

Both fighters turned to see Naofumi standing just outside of the main barrier with his arms crossed. Raphtalia stood next to him, looking distressed and tail flicking constantly in agitation.

"You know as well as I do that Filo can do it! She's more than capable of helping us fight the Waves, and I can say for certain that she's the one that holds our little group together! Without her, we'd be lost!"

Fitoria scoffed. "Foolish. Do you truly believe-"

She was cut off as Filo's attacks became more and more fierce. Spurred by her master's encouragement, she drew out more power than she thought she had.

"I won't let Master Naofumi down! He and Raphtalia mean the world to me, and if they ask me to move the world then I'll find a way to make it happen!" she exclaimed, continuing her assault. The barrier still held.

"Enough. You cannot break my barrier by sheer willpower alone. There is still a Wave to fight later today. Should you really be wasting your energy flailing against my barrier when it could cost you your life?"

"It doesn't matter! If I have to take my strength for the next week to beat your barrier, then I will! If I have to burn a month's worth of energy to survive the Wave, then I will! You can't stop me, Fitoria! Queen or not, I _refuse to lose!_" she screamed with one more punch that caused the barrier to crack.

Fitoria's eyes widened as she continued.

"HAAAAAAAH!" With one more well-placed punch, the barrier surrounding Filo shattered into a mass of orange particles. The girl was gasping for air, fists bloodied and battered from her onslaught of punches. After catching her breath, the girl weakly ran her way toward her opponent for a strike with a fist pulled back and ready to fire.

Fitoria merely smiled, closing her eyes as the blow came. Although she did not defend herself, the girl did not have strength remaining and the attack lacked any real strength. In a real fight, Filo was horribly outmatched and could not hope to win.

However, this was merely a test. A test that Filo had passed with flying colors.

The queen grasped the girl's outstretched fist softly in both hands with a smile. "You've done well, Filo. I admit defeat." she said, causing the girl to open her eyes in shock.

"I-I did it!? I won!?"

A nod was her response. "You've proven that you have the strength of character to watch over this world, and I feel happy knowing that I'll be leaving it in your care." As the surrounding barrier fell, Naofumi and Raphtalia both rushed to her side.

"Filo! Are you alright!?" the raccoon asked, gently grasping her hands and inspecting the damage while Naofumi used a weak healing spell to fix it however he could. Despite only using them to heal minor wounds, they were shockingly effective. Within moments, the blood vanished from her knuckles along with the bruises.

The spell did not fix exhaustion, unfortunately, so the girl slumped forward into the queen's arms as the pain relief numbed her body. Stroking the blonde girl's hair, Fitoria spoke. "I knew you could do it. You just needed a little push, that's all."

Naofumi looked at her with a curious gaze. "Just what was the point of all of this?"

"To see if she had the resolve to carry on. Fighting the Waves is not an easy task, and at times it may feel impossible. Should one of you be injured, I had to ensure that she would not break under pressure."

Raphtalia sighed. "I only hope that we've gotten strong enough that the Wave will be easier this time around. I feel like last time, our survival was a stroke of luck."

Naofumi looked away with a deep breath. "We had a lot of help at the end, apparently. Not the kind of help I'd like to have to rely on."

"You speak of the Sealed One, yes?" Fitoria asked, eliciting a shocked look from the two and a confused one from Filo. "Do not look so surprised. My previous master was the Shield Hero of his time, so of course I know about the demon."

Filo looked between her party members in interest, eyes half-lidded from exhaustion. "What does she mean? What demon?"

Naofumi explained Zephyrus and his existence, as well as the fact that he is trying his best to avoid using demonic magic. The girl was shockingly attentive and understanding, and took everything in stride.

"Even if he's a demon, he sounds nice! Can I meet him one day, Master?" she asked, and everyone else chuckled at the girl's childlike innocence. None of them truly had an answer for her, but Naofumi couldn't help but respond.

"We'll see, Filo. Maybe one day we can find a way to get him out of there so he can meet you in person."

FItoria left, but not before giving two gifts to the party.

To Filo, she gave a magical tiara that anointed her as the successor to the filolial royal family. It had vanished seconds later, with a strand of Filo's blonde hair sticking upward permanently instead to mark her status. The girl was annoyed beyond belief at the unusual look, but the large bonus to her stats made up for it.

To Naofumi, she ripped off one of her cowlicks and allowed it to be absorbed into his Shield. This granted him access to the entire Filolial Series of shields, as well as many of their passive bonuses instantaneously. To his pleasure, he did not suddenly gain a cowlick of his own from the gift.

Raphtalia received nothing of her own, but Naofumi assured her that he would get her a gift the next time they were in town. Needless to say, she was more than happy with that.

It was now minutes before the Wave was set to arrive, and the party was anxiously waiting in the city square. Warriors of varying races grouped together, armed to the teeth with whatever weapons suited them best. Some had clawed gauntlets, while others were transformed into their more beast-like appearances to use their natural weapons.

Naofumi would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Though Siltvelt appeared significantly more prepared for battle than Melromarc ever was, the unknown that was the Wave of Calamity made it difficult to feel at ease. The monsters literally rained down from the sky, and who knew what types of monsters they would have to fight.

All in all, it made preparing for the Wave nearly impossible.

"Lord Shield!" Werner exclaimed, grabbing the group's attention as he approached. The man was no longer in his robe, but equipped with light armor made of various furs and a few metal plates. "Have you gotten everything you need?"

Naofumi nodded. "Yep. We got our new weapons from Kotara's shop and I stocked up on healing potions, so I think we're good."

Raphtalia's ears flicked once. "Lord Werner, are you planning to fight as well?" she asked, head tilted to the side.

The winged man shook his head with a sheepish look. "No no no, I'm no fighter. Although Shusaku children are raised for combat, I was one of the few who didn't take it seriously. I merely act as a commander to coordinate our forces throughout the city."

"Sounds like a tough job, but I'm sure you've got it handled." Naofumi said, crossing his arms. "If you can spot the boss monster for the wave, let us know so we can go handle it. Until then, we'll help out wherever we can."

"Wonderful! You have a good mind for strategy, Lord Shield! We are most fortunate to have you with us today." Werner said, clapping his hands together for emphasis. Then, his expression fell slightly. "However, as you can see the soldiers are nervous. Would you mind speaking a few words of encouragement? I think it would go a long way, personally."

The hero shook his head. "I'm here to stop the wave, not be some kind of motivational speaker. Find some other schmuck that everyone knows to do it."

"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia chided, fixing him with a disappointed glare.

"I'm not doing it."

"But the soldiers-"

"I don't care what they need." he said with finality. "It doesn't matter who I am, whether I'm just some random human or the Shield Hero that they apparently love to death. At the end of the day, I'm just another guy trying to survive. I'm not going to tower over them like some kind of God; I'm fighting in the trenches just like them. They don't need a God to win, they already have everything they need standing right next to them. We'll all pull through if we trust the person next to us with our lives. If we all do that, we'll be just fine."

What he didn't realize was that all of the nearby warriors had grown silent to listen to his small speech. Several seconds passed for Naofumi realized this, and he blushed a bit while clicking his tongue in annoyance. Raphtalia and Filo both had stars in their eyes, and Werner smirked knowingly.

Suddenly, the crowd that had half-formed around them erupted into an explosion of cheers.

"Lord Shield believes in us!"

"We can't possibly lose! We'll protect our friends and family today!"

"We love you, Lord Shield!"

Naofumi rolled his eyes as the motivation soon became synchronized into a booming chant that echoed throughout the streets of Siltvelt. With a sigh, he looked out into the crowd. "Ugh, fine! Just keep your heads up and come back home alive!"

The roars and howls intensified, and Werner smiled at their chosen hero. The timer ticked down the last few seconds, and they were enveloped in light as the sky darkened into its red color. Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Filo all reappeared just inside of the city gates, surrounded by beastmen archers of varying races.

"The Shield Lord is with us! Proud men and women of Siltvelt, we stand in the presence of our savior! Do not hesitate! Do not falter!" a lion beastman shouted. Based on his more elaborate armor and commanding tone, Naofumi could assume he was one of the higher ranked soldiers.

What sounded like an earthquake shook the earth, and everyone looked out over the city walls to see a horde of monsters approaching. Green-skinned orcs wielded vicious-looking weapons and dark armor. Goblins and furbolgs filled the space between the orcs, armed with whatever they could find. Within seconds, trees in the distance began to fall as they were chopped down. Somehow, they were turned into massive ladders in minutes.

Goblins always were a crafty bunch.

"Do not be afraid! Stick to your training! Pray for victory, and it shall be ours!" the captain yelled, earning nods from many of the soldiers nearby. They gripped their bows tightly in their hands, knocking an arrow to their strings in preparation. The captain raised his hand high above his head, then brought it down with a chop.

"LOOSE!"

With the command, a gigantic rain of arrows was released. They soared through the air until they reached their targets. Some of the more intelligent orcs raised their shields to block the onslaught of sharp objects, and some of the other monsters hid behind larger ones for protection. Everything else was filled with dozens of arrows and killed in an instant.

"Ready...!"

"LOOSE!"

Another wave of arrows, but they were much less effective this time as the horde quickly adapted. Trolls and larger orcs brought forward metal shields that covered their entire bodies, acting as barriers for the smaller monsters. The hail of arrows still claimed many victims, but the horde's numbers seemed limitless.

"Master Naofumi, what should we do?" Raphtalia asked, grip tightening around her new sword. Filo transformed back into her true form, feathers fluffed slightly in anticipation.

Looking between the wave of monsters and the soldiers on the city walls, Naofumi looked to the captain. "You're in charge, right?"

"Yes, Lord Shield!" was the immediate and snappy response. "What are your orders, sir?"

The hero shook his head. "I'm no tactician, so I'll trust your judgment to keep everyone safe. Where do you need us the most?"

The captain didn't skip a beat before responding. "We have an equal distribution of soldiers along the walls, but we don't have anywhere near as many near the market district in the center of the city. In the event of an aerial attack we have plenty of archers and mages on standby, but once the foot soldiers get close to the walls we'll have to focus on them instead and we'll be vulnerable."

Naofumi nodded. "Us jumping in there now would be suicide, so for now all we can do is wait. I'll make my way toward the center of town and await further orders. I was told that Werner is our lead tactician?"

"Yes sir! He's stationed at the top of the bell tower near the West gate!" the beast man pointed to the side and upward. The group followed his motion and saw a large pair of wings stretched out atop a bell tower.

The party of three looked at each other with a nod. "Send a messenger to Werner. Tell him to let us know when they see anywhere that needs help, and we'll go that direction."

"Yes, Lord Shield! You there!" he shouted and grabbed a Shusaku woman's shoulder as she was knocking another arrow onto her bowstring. "Get to Lord Werner and tell him that the Shield Hero's party will go wherever he's needed, and that they'll be in the center of town!"

"Sir?"

"Go! Now!"

"Sir, yes sir!" With that, the woman spread her black wings and leapt into the sky to fly toward the tower. Naofumi and Raphtalia leapt onto Filo's back as she began running toward the market district. The sounds of battle raged around them as they moved, but they did not falter.

As they arrived, they saw only a scarce number of soldiers standing by. They looked nervous and uncertain, wary of any attacks that could reach this far into Siltvelt. The shouts of commanders were drowned out completely by the thundering stampede of the enemies that drew closer to the outer walls.

"Master Naofumi, what do you think so far?" Raphtalia asked, tail flicking back and forth from her nerves. They had a clear goal during the last Wave, and were in the middle of the conflict. This time, they were coordinating on a much larger scale and were essentially on standby. It was hard to feel good about the situation when they weren't able to assess the battle themselves.

He shrugged. "It's hard to tell, Raphtalia. From what little I could see out there, the monsters are defending themselves against the arrows. Before long, they'll reach the outer walls and who knows what'll happen after that." His explanation did not make anyone around him feel better, but the two girls nodded.

"Do you have any idea of what the boss could be? If we can take it out, this whole Wave should end a lot sooner."

He shook his head with a sigh. "No, I couldn't see anything personally. My guess would be some kind of commander rather than a beast like the Chimera. Those things were smart enough to strategize, so there's probably a leader among them that's giving out orders just like we are."

The raccoon's ears wilted somewhat. "They're so much more dangerous than the last wave..." she said quietly. Naofumi closed his eyes for a few seconds in thought before reopening them.

"If this is how much the Waves ramp up in difficulty, it's no wonder why the heroes are needed in the first place. We're lucky we leveled up as much as we did, and that Werner was nice enough to cover the cost of our equipment. Otherwise we wouldn't be in a good position."

Filo pointed to the sky. "Master, look! It's Bird Guy!" They followed her gaze to see Werner soaring through the air before landing beside them. His expression was calm considering the situation, but he was breathing heavily. It seemed that prolonged flight was not something the Shusaku were capable of.

"Lord Shield! The enemy has reached the south gate with a group of trolls! The gate is holding for now, but we'll be overrun soon!"

Naofumi and Raphtalia jumped onto Filo's back again. "Lead the way!"

For how large Siltvelt is, it had a surprisingly efficient architectural design that allowed for quick travel between different parts of the city. At least, that was the case from the center of town. It was a straight shot down one road to get to the southern gate, and the closer they got the clearer they could hear the gates being pounded from the other side.

"Raphtalia, Filo, stay behind me. If the gate breaks, I'll protect you from any debris. After that, we push through their ranks. Got it?" Naofumi said, hopping off the bird's back and changing to one of his new shields: the **Mythril Shield**. It gave the best stats out of any of his current shields, but was not as cumbersome as the **Darksteel Shield**. Overall, it was the best fit for use with his new longsword.

Filo shook out her feet, still getting used to having her talons covered by mythril claws. Raphtalia took a few practice swings with her sword as well, making sure she was used to its weight and balance before actually needing it. All the while, the gates shook repeatedly from massive impacts on the other end.

"Hold fast! If the gates fall, we're the first line of defense!" the nearby captain shouted, a massive Genmu man covered head to toe in armor and wielding a vicious halberd.

The soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons, prepared but not fully ready for the moment the gates opened. The full might of the Wave was waiting on the other side, held back only by the large door made of wood and metal that was weakening by the second.

All of a sudden, a fist the size of Naofumi himself emerged through the door, splinters flying from the impact. The demi-human forces all took an instinctual step backward as more holes were made from similar fists. Eventually, the holes were numerous enough for the gate to weaken structurally and with a roar, a massive troll slammed one side of the gate open.

It was easily the size of ten men, and probably smelled worse than that many piled on top of one another in the heat of summer. Its grey skin was covered in boils and fungus, and its mouth was framed by two large tusks that looked sharp enough to easily rend steel. The monster's bulging muscles belied the incredible strength it possessed.

Several more trolls followed, rushing into the first line of soldiers before swiping their arms and kicking their feet at whoever they could reach. The soldiers panicked and stabbed the attackers, but some of them were sent flying from the blows. The soldiers' attacks did very little, and the trolls continued harassing the defenders with reckless abandon.

One particular soldier, a wolfman that sounded young, screamed in terror as he was about to be stepped on. Naofumi rushed to his aid, crouching low and shoving his shield into the oncoming limb, stopping it and providing time for the young man to escape to safety. Raphtalia took the opportunity to slash at the monster, severing the leg from the calf down and giving her master some relief. The attack had taken a considerable amount of hp despite being blocked perfectly.

'I have to be more careful from now on! These things hit as hard as they look!' he thought to himself, slashing at the arm that the troll was now using to hold itself up. The blow was enough to cut off its hand, and its roar shook the nearby ground. With a leap, Raphtalia embedded her blade deep into its skull, ending its life.

However, there were four more left to fight, and the soldiers were struggling to hold their own. "Filo! Help them over there! Raphtalia, with me! We have to take these things down before we-"

He was cut off by an arrow stabbing itself in his shoulder, and Raphtalia cried out for him. Ripping it out, Naofumi raised his shield to block another arrow that flew toward him. Lowering his shield momentarily, he spotted a small group of goblin archers taking aim at him from behind the line of trolls.

"As source of thy power, I order thee: decipher the laws of nature and conceal my target! **Lesser Invisibility!"** Raphtalia cried, vanishing from sight. Seconds later, all three goblins had their heads removed by a single swipe of her sword.

"Thanks, Raphtalia!"

"Are you okay, Master Naofumi!?"

"I'm fine!" he yelled, blocking a strike from an orc that had made its way through the ruined gate. Weapons and shields locked together, he roared in the monster's face before slamming his head into its own. It cried out in pain, but that moment of weakness was long enough for the hero to stab his weapon through its neck. Blood gurgled from its lips and sprayed forward from its throat as it fell to the ground to die.

However, Naofumi's head was dizzy. That headbutt took much more energy out of him than he expected, but the results spoke for themselves. Panting heavily, he managed a second of relief before turning to his last companion. "Filo! Can you take care of the big guys!?"

The sound of shattering bones could be heard from the bird's kick, which hit a troll's chest straight on. It wheezed weakly, clutching at its chest and unable to move. Filo turned to her master and sprinted toward the gate. "I've got it! The little ones are all yours!"

"Raphtalia, come with me! We're going to push them back through the gates!" he yelled, and the woman shouted her agreement before clashing blades with a small goblin. She easily overpowered it and bisected it at the waist before continuing her assault.

Taking a quick glance backward, Naofumi saw Filo assisting the foot soldiers in attacking the trolls. Most of her effort was put into crippling the monsters' ability to fight back rather than land the killing blow, since she was trying to defend everyone at once. Sprinting forward, Naofumi slammed his shield into the face of a goblin before stomping on its face, either knocking it unconscious or killing it. He wasn't sure, since he didn't have the time to check.

Blocking another hail of arrows, Naofumi had enough. He hadn't had enough practice with his wind magic to make it useful in large-scale battles like this one, so he still had to rely on spells. Holding his shield in front of him, he chanted. "As source of thy power, I order thee: decipher the laws of nature and rend the skies! **Wind Slicer!**"

A fierce gale whipped around his blade before he slashed horizontally, creating a shockwave that bisected several orcs and decapitated multiple goblins. A furbolg that had crouched under the attack lunged toward him, but he didn't have time to dodge.

It impacted against his shield with its full weight, sending him to the ground with a wince. As it reared back a clawed hand to strike, a blade emerged from its chest and covered the man in its blood. It retracted, and Naofumi was met with the face of his first companion.

"Get up, Master Naofumi! We can't let our guards down!" she said, halting the swing of an orc's sword by slicing its hand off at the wrist. It screamed in agony while clutching its stump of a hand, before it was put out of its misery by the Tanuki.

Forcing himself to his feet, Naofumi reached into his inventory and grabbed two healing potions that he had brewed prior to the battle. After drinking it down and savoring the sweet flavor - something he prided himself on accomplishing despite the initial bitterness - he called out to his partner.

"Raphtalia!" She turned to see him tossing a potion toward her which she caught, uncorked the bottle and held it in her mouth with her teeth as she blocked the claws of a furbolg with the flat side of her sword. As she finished drinking the last drops of the potion, she spat the glass vial into the creature's face, causing it to close its eyes just long enough for her to re-angle the sword and slice its fingers off. It only had a moment to cry out in pain before its head was removed as well.

"Lord Shield!" came the voice of Werner, flapping his wings above the battlefield and hovering over the outer wall. His armor was undamaged, but the signs of exhaustion were clearly visible on his face.

"Werner! What's our status!?" Naofumi demanded, rushing to block an arrow that was headed toward Raphtalia. It bounced off of his shield with a light *ping*.

"The other gates are having the same issues that you are with the trolls, but the swarms of orcs and goblins are making it hard to take care of them! If you can make it to the hill right before the forest on the south-eastern side of the city, I think I saw a leader giving out orders!"

Naofumi nodded to the raccoon before turning his head back toward his third and final companion. "Filo!"

She ran forward through the outer gate, smashing her foot into two goblins in her path. "Master! Sis! The stinky trolls are all dead! Are you both okay!?"

Raphtalia smiled. "We're holding out, but they just don't end! How are the people you were with?"

"They're all okay, I think! A few got hurt pretty badly by those trolls or an arrow but I'm pretty sure nobody is dead!"

"Oh good." A quick sigh of relief before the raccoon impaled a goblin on her sword, its bloody gurgles and terrible breath causing her to grimace. She used her foot to kick the creature off of her blade, whipping it to the side to rid it of the blood. "Master Naofumi, should we stay here or head for the leader?"

Hopping onto his filolial companion, Naofumi reached a hand down to help her up. She took it and was swung with surprising strength, landing behind him on the bird's back. "We head east from here toward the hills. I'll protect us from arrows if you handle anything stupid enough to get in our way. Filo, you're on running duty again! Show us what you can do!"

The filolial chirped happily. "I'll get us there faster than you think, Master! Just watch!" she exclaimed, scratching her feet into the dirt in preparation for her upcoming sprint.

Werner called out one last thing before they took off. "Look for an orc that's riding on a giant wolf!"

"Got it! Let's go!" Naofumi yelled as Filo began her rampage through the horde of smaller monsters, leaving behind a cloud of dirt and dust in her wake. They sprinted for several minutes, with Filo weaving between crowds of monsters and carving a path down the center of the horde. Naofumi and Raphtalia blocked whatever attacks got too close, and took the occasional slice toward the ones that weren't as quick to jump out of the way of the incoming filolial.

Naofumi only almost fell off twice trying to do so, only to be saved by Raphtalia snagging the collar of his armor from behind.

Eventually, they reached the hill that Werner had mentioned. There were small tents set up on the other side of the hill, with goblins and orcs running to and fro to do whatever was necessary at that time. They all stopped for a moment to stare at the massive bird that was standing atop the hill.

A few orcs yelled something in a language that none of them could understand, but it had to be a cry for battle if the way the entire camp swarmed in their direction was any indication. Hopping off, Naofumi charged into battle with a guttural roar. Raphtalia did the same, and the trio were carving through the mass of green monsters until Raphtalia had her sword blocked at an awkward angle.

As she tried to regain her balance a massive blur of black fur crashed into her, sending her flying backward.

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi cried, taking a shallow cut on his cheek for losing his concentration on his opponent. He bashed his shield into the orc's chest before stabbing it in the face. Without giving a second thought, the hero ran toward his companion. What he saw made his blood run cold.

A massive wolf stood over her, paws pinning her arms to the ground. It snarled and snapped at her face with its powerful jaws, barely held at bay by the woman's hands around its throat. Her sword had been lost from the impact, so she was completely unarmed.

Before Naofumi could reach her, Filo barreled into the creature at full speed. The two toppled over and began a fight of their own as the Tanuki stood and grabbed her weapon. "Are you alright!?" Naofumi screamed as he approached.

"I'm _*huff*_ I'm fine!" she replied, gently touching her stomach where the beast had hit her the hardest. The hero finally reached her and the two stood back to back.

"You wanna try something stupid?" he asked, smirking at her.

"Master Naofumi, is this really the time for that!?"

The duo deflected blows from multiple opponents as they defended each other from their blind spots. A goblin tried to use its allies as a springboard to leap onto the raccoon's shoulders wielding a knife, but was intercepted by quick gust of wind from Naofumi's outstretched hand. It was pushed to the ground by the air pressure, allowing Raphtalia to easily stab it to death.

Whatever he was about to respond with was cut off by a deep shout of the same orc language from within the camp. All of the monsters halted their attacks and lowered their weapons before backing away to reveal an orc that was easily twice the size of a normal one. His metal armor clinked together as he walked, and both his sword and shield had serrated edges. The monstrosity had a single tooth made of shining metal and a multitude of scars on its face.

With two fingers to his mouth and a sharp whistle, the wolf that was fighting Filo kicked her off and approached the leader before sitting down.

"Well I guess we found him." Naofumi said, not letting his guard down. Raphtalia was poised to strike, but the creature held up a hand.

It cleared its throat before speaking. "Challenge." it said, its voice a resonant bass. Naofumi and Raphtalia stiffened, and the two leaned toward one another.

"It can talk!?" she whispered, eyes wide.

"Apparently..."

The captain took another step forward before planting his shield into the dirt. "No shield. Only sword."

'So this is his challenge. He wants to fight with just swords? That's not an option for me.' Naofumi thought, relaxing his posture. He wasn't sure how well the orc could understand his language, so he removed his shield and tossed it to the ground. However, it shined with a bright light before reappearing on his arm.

"This Shield is stuck to me, so I can't take it off." he said, and the orc nodded before pointing his blade at Raphtalia.

"Only sword?" it said once again.

She looked to her master, seeing him nod with a serious expression. "Go on, Raph. I believe in you. He's all yours."

She managed a quick smile in his direction before taking her stance. "Fine, I'll take your challenge." she declared. Many of the surrounding orcs chuckled and jabbed at each other, amused at the thought of their commander fighting what appeared to be a weak woman.

She clicked her tongue in a manner reminiscent of her master at their arrogance. 'If I can win here, the Wave should be over. But if I lose...' she spared a glance to the side at the city on the horizon, still surrounded on all sides by monsters of varying sizes. Shaking her head, Raphtalia refocused on her opponent. 'Can't think about that now! How can I beat this guy?'

She began to circle around her opponent, who did the same. The crowd of orcs jeered and cheered as if this was some gladiatorial match, and Naofumi swore he saw some kind of gambling going on in the back. He was surprised that the orcs and goblins allowed him to stay in the front of the crowd, and they never made a single aggressive move toward him.

'These things are smarter than I gave them credit for. They have a language, a hierarchy, strategy, and they have some semblance of honor? Why would these creatures come out of the Wave when last time they were just mindless monsters and undead?' he thought with a frown. 'Just what the hell _are_ the Waves?'

He was broken from his internal dialogue as the captain roared and made a wide sweep with his sword that nearly cleaved a nearby goblin in half. Raphtalia dodged back at the last moment, gauging his strength. Deciding that his attacks were stronger than she could defend against, she opted for utilizing her superior agility to defeat him.

With a quick step forward, she thrusted her blade at his chest. The orc used the armor on his arm to slap the flat end of the weapon away before kicking the woman in the stomach, sending her tumbling backward. Naofumi grit his teeth as Raphtalia picked herself off of the ground.

Another burst of speed brought the Tanuki within striking distance, but rather than throw an attack she chose to wait until her opponent swung first. It swung its jagged sword downward as she sidestepped, giving her an opportunity to score a solid slash on its chest. However, the large amount of armor prevented any real damage. Raphtalia managed to evade backward and create space before she was hit again.

'Dammit. That armor is such a pain! It's surprisingly fast for being so large, too! Where's a weak spot?' she thought, trying to find a section of armor that appeared weaker or less protected. As the creature roared and charged, it raised its sword above its head. Raphtalia's eyes widened as she saw that the armor didn't cover his armpits, most likely to allow for freedom of movement.

'There!'

Rather than swinging his sword like before, the captain threw his fist outward, hoping to throw the raccoon off-balance. She ducked underneath his arm and thrusted her sword at the space between the armor plates, landing a solid cut on his skin. Clutching his arm with a roar, the orc tried to kick her away but she dodged and slashed at the back of his knee. Another spurt of blood erupted from the wound and she pressed her advantage.

With a shout of her own, Raphtalia rammed the hilt of her sword into his face and slashed, adding another massive wound to the scars he already owned. He wheezed, on his knees from the pain. The crowd of orcs and goblins was silent now, many with dumbstruck expressions on their faces.

"You good." it spoke, standing to its feet weakly. "I lose." The orc bowed its head before stabbing his sword into the dirt. "Prize. Yours."

Raphtalia was wary. Although her opponent hadn't shown any signs of deceit, she was not willing to risk it. "You fought well. Retreat and I'll let you live." she said, whipping her sword once to relieve it of the dark blood that remained.

The captain nodded before backing away and shouting something in his own language, to which the horde of creatures began packing up their things. Not once did they attempt to harm the trio, and Raphtalia swore she could see some of the orcs looking at her with a strange glint in their eyes. She couldn't decipher exactly what it was, but it made her both proud and uncomfortable.

However, the sky remained red and the distant sounds of battle still raged.

"Why isn't the Wave over?" Naofumi asked, walking up Raphtalia with Filo and handing her a healing potion which she drank. "Do we have to kill him or something? As much as I don't like to admit it, something doesn't seem right about all of this."

Filo nodded her head in agreement. "You fought really well, Sis! That guy didn't stand a chance!" An orc scoffed at her, but said nothing as it continued its business.

The raccoon was still trying to catch her breath as she sheathed her sword, not seeing a use for it when the creatures around them no longer attacked. "Thanks Filo. _*huff*_ I was a little worried there for a minute. His armor is tough to get through, even with my stats being fairly high."

Naofumi put a hand to his chin in thought before running off. Raphtalia cried out in confusion. "Master Naofumi!? Where are you going!?"

"This is our only chance to know more about the Waves! I'll be right back!"

"Hey, you!" Naofumi said, causing many of the orcs to turn and look at him with eyebrows raised. The captain turned and looked at the smaller man with a neutral expression.

"What you want?" it asked, nursing the wound on his face that was healing very quickly.

"I have to know. How did you all get here? Why are you attacking us?"

The orc grunted before taking a seat on a nearby stump and motioning for the man to do the same. "This place strange, not normal. Strange creatures, new land, we not know why red sky comes." Hunched forward in his seat, the orc continued. "You all attack first. We just want to survive in unknown place."

The hero raised an eyebrow at him. "Where do you come from, anyway?"

The captain shook his head. "Home is Djor-Angijak. Warmer land than this, soil softer, trees bigger. Never seen woman like yours before."

"Who, Raphtalia?" Naofumi asked, earning a nod.

"Looks soft, but has strong arms and stronger legs. You have good woman by your side. Orc women warriors too. She would fit nicely in our clan."

The hero sighed. "Sorry, but she's stuck with me. Do you know anything about the Waves? This, 'red sky'?"

"No. Red sky comes after many moons, and things..." it paused for a moment in thought, trying to find the right words in Naofumi's language. Suddenly he pointed to the sky. "Fly? They go up, then they are gone. This time, _we_ went up."

"Hmm..." Something wasn't adding up, and Naofumi knew it. There was simply no explanation for how this clan of orcs ended up here, and nobody he spoke to had ever mentioned anything even close to the word Djor-Angijak. 'So it isn't just monsters that get taken by the Waves, and they obviously come from somewhere else to get here. What am I missing?...'

Deciding that these questions could be answered later, Naofumi shrugged. "Well, as long as you and your clan aren't a threat to the people here, I don't think they'll mind too much if you stay. I have some influence over this city and its people, so they may overlook the attack since this seems like a giant misunderstanding."

The orc raised a scarred eyebrow. "Not understand all words, but if we stop fighting we not get attacked?"

The hero nodded in response with a smile. "I'll do everything I can do make sure they let you all live, and I'll personally try to find somewhere for you all to stay. We may be able to find some land for you to build your own city, or something."

The captain cracked a smile. "You good human, strong and wise. Good with words. I will order forces back to camp, stop fighting. In exchange, meet with leader for peace?"

"Of course!" the man said, extending a hand which was shaken by the larger orc. "We can make this work. I'll head back to the city and tell them to hold off."

The orc captain nodded. "My name Ghorbash, Chief of Ghorbash clan." he formally introduced himself.

"Iwatani Naofumi. Hero of the Shield."

Their meeting was interrupted by a deep rumbling that shook the ground beneath their feet. The residents of the camp hurriedly ran around in confusion, still trying to finish their tasks. Suddenly, the shaking felt like an earthquake that threw most people to the ground.

"What's going on!?" Naofumi asked, stumbling around while trying to maintain his balance. Ghorbash was no better, and the wounds from his battle with Raphtalia were not helping.

"No..! He wouldn't!" the Chief said with anger on his features. "We agreed not to use it!"

"Use what!?"

A booming groan was joined by the sounds of crumbling stones. Looking back toward Siltvelt, Naofumi could see the earth breaking into chunks and piling on top of itself. What looked like a face made of stone could be seen on the top of the pile, and it grew taller and taller by the second. Within a minute, it had reached a height that rivaled the outer walls of the city. As it grew, it gained arms and legs and eventually formed a humanoid shape.

"Wh-what the hell is that!?" Naofumi exclaimed.

"That is Grimus, protector of furbolg tribes. Earth golem of much power."

"A golem!? Aw jeez, can this day get any crazier!?" Naofumi said as the earthquake stopped. "I'll go stop it, then we can arrange a meeting!" With that, the hero ran off toward his companions.

"Best luck to you, No-foomi!" Ghorbash said as he left.

Sprinting through the camp, Naofumi quickly found Raphtalia and Filo staring at the monstrosity that had emerged. "Raphtalia, Filo! Let's go!"

"Master, are you sure we can take on something like that!?" Filo asked, hesitantly.

"We have to! Chief Ghorbash is on our side, but one of the furbolg tribe leaders went rogue! He's pulling back his forces so we'll just have that golem to worry about!"

Both of them hopping onto Filo's back, Raphtalia and Naofumi shared a look before the woman raised an eyebrow. "Master Naofumi, how did you manage to get the monsters from a Wave to be our allies?"

He shook his head. "I'll tell you the details later, but basically the Waves are bringing things from somewhere else and putting them here. They're not all monsters!"

Raphtalia hugged her arms around his chest as Filo took off sprinting toward the east gate where the golem was summoned. "I'm just glad we could get through this without too much fighting..."

Turning his head back with a smirk, Naofumi spoke. "You know, Ghorbash said you remind him of an orc woman."

She gasped, mouth open in shock. "I don't even know whether to be offended by that, but based on that satisfied smirk you have I imagine it's an insult!"

Naofumi's open laughter made her pinch his side, underneath where his armor protected him. He winced and nearly fell off of his filolial companion, but his laughter faltered for only a moment. "Hey! I don't know what orc women look like either, but he said it was because you're a good fighter! Now _stop pinching me, _that hurts!"

She relented, laying her head against her master's back. "Fine, but if I hear _anything_ about having tusks or giant muscles I swear I'll kill you in your sleep."

He was silent for the rest of the ride.

As they got closer, the golem's true size became shockingly apparent. Its massive frame cast a shadow across the battlefield that shifted with its sluggish movements. "Filo! Get us closer to one of its feet! We have to get its attention away from the city!"

"Got it!" she responded, continuing her sprint until they closed in on the monster. Unsheathing his sword, Naofumi hopped off of Filo's back and slashed at the titanic foot that was planted into the ground. As it would with any other stone, it simply bounced right off without dealing a single point of damage.

"My attack stat can't even scratch it?..." he mumbled to himself. "Raphtalia, give it a try!"

"Haaaah!" she cried, bringing her weapon out and stabbing into the limb made of stone and dirt. She managed to wedge her blade between the cracks of the rocks, but did nothing to deter its movement. "No good, Master Naofumi! I can't do anything against it like this!"

"Dammit. What do we have that could stop it?" he asked himself, trying to keep his balance as the golem's next step shook the earth. 'If physical attacks don't work, maybe magic would?'

"As source of thy power, I order thee: decipher the laws of nature and rend the skies! **Wind Slicer!"** he chanted, unleashing a shockwave that dissipated on impact with the creature's foot with not a single point of damage dealt. 'Even that!? That's one of my strongest spells, and I'm running low on SP!' he thought, frantically.

Filo and Raphtalia both tried anything they could, but none of their attacks did any damage. However, this did attract the attention of the massive figure that loomed over them. Its echoing groan sounded like stone grinding against stone as it moved one foot to crush them. The monster's massive size made it slow enough for all three of them to easily dodge the attack.

"Master! I have an idea!" Filo exclaimed, catching his attention. "Maybe the head is a weak point?"

"But how would we get all the way up there? That thing has to be at least fifty meters tall!" Raphtalia said, dodging a slow swipe from the golem's arm.

"We can knock it over, right? It's big and slow, so it probably can't get up if it falls!"

Naofumi jumped at the idea. "That's actually a good idea, Filo! Let's use wind magic and knock it off its feet!" Together, the two chanted.

"As source of thy power, I order thee: decipher the laws of nature and blow my target away! **Greater Tornado!"**

A gigantic blast of wind struck the golem as it was taking a step, knocking it off balance and causing it to flail wildly. Due to its size, however, it moved surprisingly slowly. Several full seconds passed before the stone monster tipped backward on one foot, back quickly approaching the ground.

Finally, it collided with the earth it was made from and shattered into pieces. Naofumi and Raphtalia sprinted toward the head, hoping to deal some kind of damage. They stopped when they saw that the golem was no longer moving, and had the stones that made up its body were cracked in many places.

As the two reached the golem's head, its red eyes glowed and locked onto the duo. Its groan was much louder from here, and it forced Naofumi and Raphtalia to cover their ears or risk losing their hearing. An arm came swinging at them from the side, but they managed to jump over it as it passed.

This continued for several minutes with both of them trying to damage the golem at its head, but they had to keep dodging its swipes the whole time. Having another idea, Naofumi leapt onto the golem's chest.

"Master Naofumi, what are you doing!?" the raccoon cried.

He stumbled, forced to hold onto a large rock protruding from its body to steady himself. "If we can't hurt it, maybe it can hurt itself! Get back so it focuses on me!"

She was reluctant to do so, but trusted her master's instincts. Raphtalia retreated to where Filo was so they could be more mobile if necessary. Tilting its head downward, the golem spotted Naofumi on its body and roared again. Stony hand clasped into a fist, it drove it directly into its own chest to squash the puny being that stood on it.

The hero had barely enough time to leap off of the creature before being ground into dust, and he continued rolling as the shockwave of the impact sent him flying. Shielding his eyes from the dust, Naofumi looked and saw the both the golem's arm and chest had broken into smaller pieces.

Scrambling to his feet, he rushed back to see if the attack created any weak points. Raphtalia and Filo joined him on the golem's chest to see massive cracks in the golem's body.

"I think I see something! Right there!" Raphtalia exclaimed, pointing toward a particularly large crack. Peering inside, Naofumi could see what looked like a crystal that was beating in rhythm, like a heart.

"That's gotta be the core, or something!" Naofumi said, readying his sword and plunging it deep into the crack. However, it was too small to reach the pulsing object. "Urgh, we have to pry it further open somehow!"

Looking at each other, they all shrugged. "I've got nothing that would be useful here, Master. I don't think I'm strong enough to do it."

"Me neither, Master Naofumi."

"Damn." he said, biting his thumb in frustration. 'We're so close, I can feel it! But what can we do!?'

"Perhaps we can be of assistance, Lord Shield?" came the voice of Werner from behind. They turned to see him with an entire squad of demi humans in robes.

"Bird guy!" cried Filo, flapping her own wings in excitement and surprise.

"That's right, and I've brought our best mages to subdue this golem! The core is particularly weak to freezing and shattering, and it just happens that three of these mages specialize in those types!"

Naofumi breathed a sigh of relief, but he stumbled as the golem shifted once again. The rocks began reforming in the cracks created from its attack, slowly fixing the damage. Werner swiped a hand forward authoritatively. "Alright everyone, full power! Soften it up, then freeze it!"

"Yes sir!" they responded before chanting their spells. Seconds later, a deluge of water erupted from their hands, soaking the golem's chest and seeping through the cracks that were yet to be repaired. The second spell took much longer for them to chant, but the mages placed their hands on the golems body as ice began to form.

"**Flash Freeze!"** they said together. In an instant, the entire golem was covered in frigid ice and its movements ceased completely. A sound like shattering glass could be heard before the golem began losing its form.

The entire party jumped off of the golem's body as it started falling apart into massive chunks of earth and stone. The deep groan that it produced was weaker this time, and it didn't take long for the golem to once more become an immobile pile of rocks.

Then, the sky returned to its usual blue color.

The Wave was over.

"Well, that was a bit anticlimactic." Naofumi said, sheathing his weapon with a chuckle. Raphtalia swatted him on the shoulder with her hand.

"Your comedic timing needs work, Master Naofumi." she chided, but she also had a satisfied look on her face. "But at least we all survived. This Wave was much different than the last one, for sure."

Werner chuckled. "Yes, skilled mages tend to make fights against elemental types quite easy. You did well to immobilize it, Lord Shield. That made our job much simpler."

The hero scratched the back of his head. "You can thank Filo for the idea. I wasn't sure what we would have done if it weren't for her quick thinking." The filolial, who had now transformed back into her human form, blushed at the praise.

The Shusaku turned to her with a smile. "Well, I guess we'll owe you twice the food at dinner tonight then. As thanks for your hard work."

"Yes! Hard work really does pay off sometimes!" Filo said, cheering as a small bit of drool escaped her mouth at the thought of dinner. Naofumi placed his hand on her head caringly, earning a pout from Raphtalia who crossed her arms and averted her eyes pointedly.

"Anyway, there's a lot more that we have to discuss after this is all taken care of. You noticed that the orcs and goblins all backed off, right?" the hero said, expression turning more serious once again.

Werner nodded, one of his wings flicking behind him in curiosity. "Yes, in fact we did. We were quite fortunate that they did, otherwise we would have lost even more of our forces. Per my initial estimations, we only lost maybe a few dozen soldiers in total."

Naofumi's gaze dropped. 'A few dozen may seem like nothing to him, but that's still a lot of people dead...' he thought forlornly. He shook his head. 'Nothing we can do about that now, though. Just be glad there weren't more casualties...'

"I'd like you to set up a meeting between the Chief of the orcs and the Council."

"U-um, Lord Shield, I must ask you to reconsider-"

"No."

"B-but-!"

"I said no. The fact that they were willing to make peace at all is a miracle, so you shouldn't throw that chance away. The whole thing is a misunderstanding." Naofumi said with finality, fixing the Shusaku with a deadly glare. "They're just confused. The Waves aren't just throwing monsters at us, they're teleporting things from...somewhere else. The Ghorbash clan and some others just got caught up in it. Wouldn't you panic a bit if everyone in Siltvelt suddenly appeared somewhere you didn't recognize? Especially if a nearby city was preparing to attack you?"

Werner tried to retort, but the dark gaze being sent his way made him groan in defeat. "Very well, Lord Shield. However, I cannot guarantee that the Council as a whole will agree to such a meeting."

"Then make them agree; that's not my problem. Besides, I already promised the meeting to Chief Ghorbash so if you back out of the deal, he would be justified in attacking again."

Raphtalia sighed at her master's attitude. "Lord Werner, I highly suggest just doing what he says. When he gets like this, you really can't change his mind."

"Wh-What do you mean!? I'm not that bad!" Naofumi exclaimed, eyes widened in indignation.

"You really are..." she responded. He huffed and crossed his arms, pouting. She ignored the rest of his protests, only giving short or off-handed replies. Eventually, Naofumi gave up and simply accepted his fate as the world's least respected hero.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" he snapped his fingers as he remembered. "I bet the core could be used for my shield!" He began digging through the rubble with his hands. "Come on, where the hell is it..." he grumbled as he waded through dirt and rock.

The group sweatdropped at him, and Werner leaned toward Raphtalia with a questioning gaze. "Is he...always like this?" he asked quietly.

"If you mean that he changes emotions in an instant, then yes." she replied with a deadpan stare at her master. However, it only took a few seconds of seeing him holding a shard of glowing rock above his head with a triumphant cheer for her expression to melt into one of compassion. "I suppose that's what's so great about him, though."

If Werner noticed her affectionate look, he didn't mention it. It was probably for the best, anyway.

Naofumi allowed the glowing core to be absorbed into his shield, unlocking the Elemental Series of shields. His eyes widened at the initial one he unlocked, the **Stone Titan Shield**. It had an absurd amount of defense, nearly twice the amount of the **Mythril Shield **he acquired from Kotara. It also had a very unique special ability that Naofumi couldn't wait to try out.

**Stone Titan Shield: +350 DEF. Passive Bonus: +100 DEF, Minor Earth Resistance, Minor Petrification resistance. Equip Skill: Titanic Strength - Upon activation, converts 90% of DEF into attack power for 5 seconds.**

'90% of my DEF is incredibly high, and a boost like that to my attack power would be-" he opened his menu to look at his stats, "nearly twenty times my normal power!?" he shouted out loud, drawing attention to himself. "What the hell!? That's ridiculous!"

"What's wrong, Master Naofumi!?" Raphtalia cried, rushing to him with concern etched on her features.

He shook his head before changing his shield into the **Stone Titan Shield**, a massive tower shield that was taller than himself and big enough to fit his entire body behind it, as well as someone else of smaller stature. Its shine made it appear to be made of some bronze-like metal, but its texture revealed it was a slab of stone with carvings of an ancient tree on the front.

"I want to try something, so stand back. I don't really know what's about to happen." he said. Raphtalia panicked slightly, backing away to stand beside Filo and the Siltvelt mages.

Taking a deep breath, Naofumi activated the shield's ability. **"Titanic Strength!"** he shouted before his shield shattered into small fragments of rock that enveloped his gauntlets. The hero gasped at the immense feeling of weightlessness and the almost euphoric high he was given.

To the observers, he was surrounded by a red-tinted haze that slightly obscured his figure. The ground beneath his feet caved and shattered, as if the man weighed many times more than normal. This was simply his power exploding at its maximum without control.

"What is Lord Shield doing, exactly?" Werner asked, instincts screaming at him to retreat to a safer distance but letting his confidence in the hero overcome it.

Before Raphtalia could respond, Naofumi roared and stomped a foot into the ground. The impact caused the earth itself to shake and cracks spiderwebbed from where his foot landed. Next, he sent a single punch straight forward, causing a massive blast of wind to burst forth from his hand that nearly uprooted the small trees in its wake.

Then the haze faded and Naofumi dropped to his knees, gasping for air and sweat on his brow.

"Master Naofumi! What was that just now!?" Raphtalia ran over, handing him her canteen of water and placing a hand on his shoulder. He greedily gulped from it until there was nearly no liquid left inside before handing it back.

"_*Huff*_ Th-thanks Raphtalia. I really needed that. I got a new shield, and it has this crazy ability that exchanges most of my defense into offense for a few seconds. What you just saw was that ability in action." he said, standing to his feet with her assistance.

"That was..."

"Crazy?"

"Y-yeah. If you can attack like that with a weapon, you could probably beat a lot of strong opponents easily!" she said with a smile. "And that's one more tool to help you never need the curse power." she whispered.

He chuckled, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Woo. I mean, that's assuming any sort of weapon can handle that kind of power without breaking immediately. I don't think even my new one can withstand something like that."

Werner approached with a knowing smile, arms crossed.

"In that case, you may wish to visit the city of Zeltopia: the City of Merchants. However, a once in a lifetime opportunity has arisen that you will not want to miss out on." the winged man said, earning their attention.

"And what kind of opportunity is this?" asked Naofumi, eyebrow raised. "We'll want to get our class changes before we go anywhere, since these two just hit level 40 from that golem."

A chuckle from the Shusaku was his initial response. "Oh Lord Shield, you _definitely_ do not want to miss out on this then. It's the single best place to level up in the entire known world, and it only opens up once per decade! And since you were gracious enough to come to our aid, I should be able to easily get your entire party a VIP ship to the island!"

"Well spit it out already. We don't have all day." Naofumi said, impatiently. Raphtalia elbowed him in the side, causing him to wheeze out a quiet and half-hearted apology.

Werner smirked.

"What I'm talking about, is Cal Mira Archipelago."


	11. Chapter 12

**AAAAAAAAAAAND we're back.**

**Finally got my writing mojo flowing and I'm itching to keep writing this story, since I feel like it's finally kicking off the ground and moving forward.**

**Here's hoping that they continue to release more manga chapters and anime episodes. The manga kinda stopped at a certain point for months and never got updated, and I didn't really want to buy the Light Novels, so for the longest time I was starved from info and canon progression. After a certain point I'll probably just branch off and do my own thing.**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**As always, feel free to review!**

Following the conclusion of the Wave, Naofumi and his party were treated to a feast worthy of a king. Naofumi's persistence forced the Council to hold a meeting with Chief Ghorbash based on what he'd heard, and it was set to be later that day. Repairs from the Wave were already underway, and most of the civilians were in high spirits.

After all, making allies out of your enemies was always a cause for celebration. Time flew by despite the exhaustion that Naofumi felt, and before he knew it the time for the meeting had arrived. The negotiations were tense, to say the least. Ghorbash did his best to convey his words accurately in the human tongue, but his speech lacked the elegance that the Council was used to.

Naofumi and his party were officially there to act as intermediaries, but he knew that the Council was just scared of the possibility that the orc chieftain goes rogue and attempts to kill them. To him, he was present at the meeting to ensure fair treatment of both sides. However, he was thrown for a loop by the Chief's initial proposal.

"You want us to bring one of your clanmates with us?"

Naofumi stood in the corner of the conference room within Siltvelt's castle, arms crossed and leaning against a pillar. His eyes, along with those of nearly everyone else in the room, were widened like saucers. Chief Ghorbash was kneeling with a fist to his chest, apparently a sign of respect among orcs.

"Yes. Take warrior, help stop red skies. He not speak much, but he follow orders well. Gift from Ghorbash clan for..." the green-skinned man had the decency to look sheepish at his lack of a correct term, "...you generous? As thanks." he finished, satisfied with his explanation.

It was enough. "I mean, I'm not opposed to the idea, but don't you think it's a bit soon to have someone who knows absolutely nothing about this place or its language go wandering off?" the hero asked with a tilt of his head.

"Master Naofumi, weren't you exactly the same way not too long ago? You were summoned here against your will too, so in a way their situation is the same as yours. Minus the legendary weapon stuck on your arm, I mean." Raphtalia said, causing her master to flinch and scratch his cheek in embarrassment.

"I mean, yeah...but my shield translates the world's language into my own. I didn't have to learn how to talk to people here."

Werner hummed in interest. "Hmm? You mean you _aren't_ speaking our native language? I know that language is probably the only thing we share with the human kingdom of Melromarc besides a border, but what language are you speaking if you aren't speaking ours?" he asked, eyeing the hero attentively.

"Japanese, from my homeland of Japan." Naofumi responded, releasing himself from the pillar and walking back to the table where the rest of the room's occupants sat. "To me, you're all speaking Japanese fluently. Even you, Ghorbash."

Raphtalia raised an eyebrow. "You never told me this, Master Naofumi."

"You never asked."

She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, back to the matter at hand." Genmu interjected, looking to the orc chieftain with what appeared to be sympathy. "As a sign of good faith, we could offer your clan a somewhat small portion of land to the east. However, we are currently reconstructing our own city due to the Wave's attack. I personally do not hold any ill-will toward you or your allies for attacking us initially, since the situation was chaotic for everyone involved."

Jinto stroked the fur on his chin. "As such, we cannot offer you any kind of aid in regard to construction of a village or a town. Anything you find in that area, you may use however you wish. There is a single river just north of the area we plan to give you, and the ocean is not too much further north than that."

Ghorbash bowed his head. "Many thanks. Ghorbash clan in debt. Will repay when able." Rising to his feet once more, the chief continued. "No-foomi, take orc with you. Teach him language and learn lands. He is strong warrior, fights well."

Naofumi looked to his two existing companions with a questioning gaze. "Well Raphtalia, Filo? What about you two? Think we have room for one more?"

Filo pouted. "But having more people means less food for me!" she whined, kicking her feet in frustration as she sat on the tall chair.

"Filo, behave!" the Raccoon chided with a disapproving glare before looking back to her master with a smile. "I wouldn't mind having someone else to watch our backs in a battle. After all, the Waves aren't going to be getting any easier."

Then the woman smirked. "Plus, imagine the king's face when he sees us again. Or the Spear Hero."

Naofumi laughed so hard at the idea that he snorted. "Hahaha! That's an amazing idea, Raphtalia!" he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Okay, Chief Ghorbash. We'll take your offering gratefully, and return him stronger than you could ever believe."

The orc shook hands with the hero, as well as the three Councilmen. His smile, sharp teeth with two small tusks on his upper lip, refused to leave his face. "Very good. Ghorbash clan look forward to working and fighting with you when time comes."

The hero took his companions to the Dragon Hourglass to complete the class upgrade ritual. Naofumi had allowed his companions to choose whatever kind of upgrade they wanted, but something had interfered, forcing them to remain in the same class. However, their stats increased two-fold across the board which was a nice consolation prize. According to Werner, such a thing was completely unheard of.

Naofumi had a feeling that Fitoria had something to do with it.

Filo was disappointed that she couldn't spit poison.

Raphtalia wasn't too upset, however. Her choice was to maximize her attack power anyway, so doubling all of her stats was even better than she could have hoped for.

After getting all of their equipment repaired and having a full day to rest, the group was escorted to the coastline to board the ship to Cal Mira. Unfortunately, there was only a single port that was allowed to send ships to and from Cal Mira Archipelago. Because the set of islands was a popular tourist attraction and brought in an unthinkable amount of revenue, this port town somehow gathered enough money to purchase exclusive rights to transportation between the mainland and the islands.

This had the unintended side effect of forcing all of the mainland countries, from Melromarc and Siltvelt to Faubley and Shieldfreeden, to share this single port to reach Cal Mira. None of these kingdoms were on particularly friendly terms, but there were very strict laws against causing trouble or risk their kingdom's citizens rights to the resort.

Upon reaching the port town, Filo couldn't resist dancing around with a smile. "The sea, the sea! The happiest place to be! Fish and crab and more to eat!" she sang, eliciting a smile from her companions. Raphtalia took a deep breath, savoring the salty air.

Naofumi turned to her with curious eyes. "You seem happy." he remarked, grabbing her attention.

"Yes. I was raised in a village by the ocean, and I haven't seen it since." she said, expression turning somber. Her master clicked his tongue in mild anger at the evil people who took advantage of her village's plight to claim its people as slaves. Though, he couldn't be too upset because it had eventually led to him finding the woman he now traveled with.

Still, he was empathetic enough to feel angry for her sake.

"I see..." he responded, letting that conversation die before it could put a damper on the current mood. They soon walked through the main gates of the town, in awe of the bustling crowd that wandered to and fro between the various shops and the docks. A massive ship rested at the dock, humans and demi humans alike rushing on and off carrying supplies.

Their escort took their leave, saying that they needed to return to Siltvelt to assist with the repairs. The hero nodded before turning to his companions.

"Looks like that's our boat. Are you two ready? Werner said this place is supposed to have some kind of special event where we gain a ton of experience for killing weak monsters, but I want you two to get a chance to relax while we're there." he said, and the blonde girl did a twirl.

"I'm sooooo ready! We're gonna get to play at the beach! And eat lots of yummy food! Maybe I can even catch a shark!" she said, finger to her cheek and a bit of drool coming from her mouth. "Mmm...I wonder what sharks taste like..." she mumbled to herself.

Raphtalia sweatdropped. "I think I'll pass on the shark hunting, but a bit of time to relax sounds amazing. It's been non stop fighting and walking ever since we left Melromarc."

Naofumi noticed that he no longer felt the familiar pang of sickness that he usually got whenever he thought about the human kingdom. The anger he felt was obviously still present, but it no longer made him want to raze the entire castle to the ground. He brushed some of his hair away from his eyes as he looked out over the ocean horizon. "You can say that again..." he mumbled.

"What _is _that thing?"

"Is it a monster?"

"Maybe a new kind of demi-human?"

"I've never seen one with green skin before..."

Raphtalia's ears perked up at the hushed whispers around them. Small groups had gathered and pointed toward the dock, where a single orc stood. He was roughly the size of Elhart, big but not unnaturally so, and clothed in tribal-looking armor that didn't cover a large portion of his body. It was evidently intended for freedom of movement over all else. On his back was a metal bow and a quiver of arrows.

The orc was looking around, searching for someone. When his eyes landed on the group, they widened and he approached quickly. He immediately fell to one knee and saluted with a fist to his chest.

"Me Sho, warrior of Ghorbash. You No-foomi?" he asked, tone rumbling and coarse. The hero nodded.

"That's me. These are Raphtalia and Filo, they're my other companions. It's good to have you with us." Naofumi said, ignoring the fact that no orc seemed to pronounce his name properly. 'Must be a bit of a language barrier.' he thought.

Sho stood, looking between the two women with curious eyes. "You hurt Chief. You strong." he remarked to Raphtalia, who smiled at the praise. His gaze landed on Filo. "You warrior?" he asked, confused.

Naofumi chuckled. "She's probably the strongest out of all of us, to be honest."

"You make joke?" the orc asked, incredulous. "Small human strong?"

"Just watch me, Sho! I'll beat all kinds of monsters before you can!" the girl said, pouting with her hands on her hips.

The green-skin smirked. "Challenge? Good. Accepted." he responded. Naofumi could swear there were sparks between their eyes, and he sighed.

"Save the challenge for the monsters, alright? Anyway, it's a pleasure to have you aboard." he said, holding out a hand to shake which the orc took. "You look quite prepared."

"Yes. Me hunter, strong orc arms for bow and arrows. Quick feet to catch prey. Good eyes for seeing danger."

Raphtalia smiled at him. "Some long-range help will do a lot to keep us safe in a fight. Isn't that right, Master Naofumi?" she turned to the dark haired man who nodded.

"A few ground rules before we go anywhere, though." he said, holding up three fingers. "First, we're all equals on this team. Nobody is higher than anyone else. Second, no rushing into danger for no reason. And third, we watch out for our own. If we all follow those, our group will be just fine."

Sho nodded. "Understand."

"Good." Naofumi said with a smile. "Now let's get on the boat and wait. It's not too long of a trip, apparently. Maybe half a day, so it gives us plenty of time to enjoy the ocean."

The group agreed, walking down onto the docks. A genmu woman greeted them at the ramp to board the ship. When she spotted them, she heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness you're finally here, Lord Shield. You would not _believe_ what I've had to deal with today, so your presence calms me more than you know."

The Tanuki raised an eyebrow. "Pardon my asking, but what _have_ you dealt with?" she asked, hesitant. The genmu rolled her eyes with a groan.

"I won't bore you with the details, but it's been one thing after another. 'Why don't we get private cabins?', 'Can we bring our carriage with us?', 'Does the ship have protection against monster attacks?'. I swear the craziest people come to these islands, sometimes. Anyway, do you have everything you need? It will be a whole week before you return." she said, switching from brutally honest to professional in an instant. Naofumi was honestly impressed.

"Yeah, I think we have everything. How long will it be before we set off?" he asked.

She thumbed through a few sheets of paper that she was holding, humming the whole time. "Well, we're still waiting on the other three heroes to-"

"Wait, you mean we have to go _with them!?_" Naofumi asked, pitch rising with his annoyance as he cut her off. Raphtalia flinched at his tone.

"Y-yes, Lord Shield. I'm afraid this is the last ship to Cal Mira for the next few days, and you don't want to miss out on the monsters while they're around." the woman said, sheepishly. "The only way we were able to get cabins for all of you was to essentially double up on beds. I know it'll be uncomfortable, but it was the best we could do on such short notice..." she looked down in shame.

Naofumi and Raphtalia shared a look and a shrug while Filo looked between them curiously. "I don't think that'll be much of a problem for us, actually. We're used to much worse. Besides, it's only a single night." the Tanuki said, earning a relieved sigh from the turtle.

"Oh thank goodness. You're as humble as Lord Werner said, and that makes me so happy!"

Turning to his party, the hero sighed. "Alright, I guess we'll figure out sleeping arrangements now. We'll only be on the boat overnight, and we'll reach the Archipelago in the morning. Raphtalia and I could fit on one bed."

Filo pouted. "That's no fair! Why do you and Sis get to sleep together all the time!?"

Naofumi looked away with a bored expression, while the raccoon blushed. "W-well, it's just that...we've already had to do it before, so..." she trailed off. The explanation didn't make Filo any happier.

"And what about you, Sho?" Naofumi asked the orc, who shook his head.

"Keep watch. No need sleep. Will rest tomorrow."

The dark haired man nodded, happy that the soldier sent by Ghorbash was diligent, at least. Perhaps a bit too serious, but he supposed beggars can't be choosers. His attention was diverted by the creaking of the docks behind him. As he turned, his eyes bulged.

There stood the Sword, Spear, and Bow heroes, all sporting injuries and mumbling quietly amongst themselves. Naofumi noted that many of their original party members were absent. Motoyasu was missing some of his hair, likely burned off by an attack, as well as a long scar along his cheek. Itsuki walked with a slight limp, favoring his left side. The boy's left eye was covered by an eyepatch, and three diagonal scars ran from his forehead down to his ear. And Ren?...

The Sword Hero only had one arm.

"Holy shit..." Naofumi said under his breath. "What happened to them?"

Raphtalia covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped. "Oh no..."

The heroes were walking alone until they looked up and noticed the Shield Hero's party. Ren was the first to speak. "Oh it's you, Naofumi. Good to see you still alive." the dark haired man said, keeping his neutral expression.

"I guess I could say the same for you, but what the hell happened? And where are your other party members?" Naofumi responded, eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

Itsuki and Motoyasu ignored the conversation, walking up the ramp to board the ship without a word spoken but not before the Spear Hero shoulder checked Naofumi on the way up. The man's DEF stat was so high that he didn't budge, causing the blond man to abruptly stop and awkwardly move around the obstacle.

"Tch, asshole." Naofumi muttered before looking back at Ren who shook his head.

"Cut him a little slack, Naofumi. The last wave was hard for all of us." the Sword Hero said with a sigh. "It was much harder than we expected, and we paid the price. Nearly all of our party members are either dead or in such critical condition that they can't fight. Even Princess Malty was killed."

Naofumi hummed in interest. "She...died?" he asked. Raphtalia couldn't tell from his tone whether he was happy or not.

Ren nodded. "The boss was some kind of pirate ship in the sky. The captain would revive every time we killed him, and if it weren't for me using a mass-flame spell, we would have never found the true boss. It was some kind of spirit monster lurking within the ship."

Raphtalia stepped forward to stand beside her master with a concerned expression. "So you managed to kill this creature eventually?"

"No. We couldn't do a damn thing."

Naofumi and Raphtalia flinched as the one-armed man continued. "All of our attacks were nullified, and none of us had any kind of holy magic to hurt it. If it weren't for that strange woman showing up, we wouldn't have stood a chance against it. Lost an arm because of her too, but saving someone's life was worth it."

"A strange woman?" the Shield Hero asked. "Was she some kind of mage or a priestess?"

"She didn't tell us her name, but said that she was the true boss of the Wave. She took the spirit creature down with a single hit, then attacked us. We were far too exhausted to dodge her attacks, and our DEF stats were too low to take more than one in quick succession." Ren looked down at the dock, clenching his fist with anger on his face. "We only survived because the Wave's timer ran out. We got lucky."

Naofumi's eyes slowly returned to normal as he processed the situation, then he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Damn, and here I thought I could get my revenge on her myself. I guess I can't hold much of a grudge against a corpse..." he mumbled, looking out into the expanse of ocean and leaning against the railing with his head hanging over. "..._Fuck..._"

Raphtalia placed her hand on the man's shoulder before wrapping her arms around him for comfort. Although he made no move to stop her, he didn't reciprocate the act. Ren coughed into his hand.

"Anyway, it seems like you all are doing well for yourselves. And is that an orc in your party?" he asked, looking to Sho with interest. "Where did you find him?"

Sho merely glared down at the human, saying nothing. Filo hopped up in front to speak for him. "He came from the sky! The Wave brought them all here, but we're all at peace now!"

Ren looked down at the small girl with his brows furrowed. "And who are you? Naofumi, don't tell me you're bringing little girls into a war."

A puff of smoke was his response, and Filo transformed into her bird form. Ren's eyes shot open before returning to normal seconds later. "...I see. Well, I'll take my leave from here. Best of luck to you all." he said beginning the walk up the ramp before turning back.

"Oh, and Naofumi?" Ren said, causing the Shield Hero to turn his head slightly. "I thought about what you told me, and it turns out you were right. If your Shield has anything like what's in my Sword, then it makes sense that you're so powerful."

"A dragon, right?" was the low response from Naofumi, who patted his raccoon companion on the head before turning to the Sword Hero. At Ren's nod, he smirked. "The demon inside of my Shield told me a bit more than he wanted to, so that's how I figured it out. Have you spoken to it yet?"

Ren nodded again. "Terrifying, but majestic at the same time. He told me he was sealed in there a long time ago, and his curse was drawn from excessive greed."

"Mine is rage. I'd imagine Motoyasu and Itsuki have something similar. Have you told them?"

"Yeah, but they didn't believe me. They said it was ridiculous and couldn't possibly be true."

Naofumi scoffed. "That's what they all say, but you know the truth."

"Hmph." Ren snorted with a thin smile, before continuing to board the ship. Naofumi turned to his companions.

"Shall we?" he asked, motioning toward the boat. It wasn't until they received their cabin that Naofumi was introduced to their roommates. One was a muscular, red haired man with a tattoo on his left shoulder. The other was a beautiful woman with turquoise hair tied into a long braid. At the party's entrance, the two stopped what they were doing and looked at them.

"You must be our roommates! The name's L'arc Berg, it's nice to meetcha kiddo!" the man exclaimed with a carefree smile, reaching a hand out to shake.

"And I'm Therese Alexanderite. It's a pleasure." the woman said with a soft smile and a hand to her chest, revealing a variety of gemstones embedded in jewelry.

The Hero shook the redhead's hand. "Iwatani Naofumi. And these are my party members: Raphtalia, Filo, and Sho."

The Tanuki bowed slightly. "It's very nice to meet you both." Her eyes strayed to the jewels adorning Therese's arm. "If I may ask, are you royalty? Those gemstones are absolutely beautiful."

The blunette shook her head with a giggle. "Oh, not at all! My magic harnesses the essence of gems to cast spells. But thank you! Each and every one of them is dear to my heart, and they appreciate your compliments."

"You can talk to gems?" Naofumi questioned, crossing his arms with a disbelieving look.

She giggled again. "Not really, but I can sort of _feel_ them individually to an extent. Most gems have emotions, but I can't hold a conversation with them. Even for someone without my magic, gems can carry powerful enchantments."

"What kind of enchantments do you mean?" Raphtalia asked, tilting her head to the side.

"All sorts of things! They can increase the amount of MP you have, to making your stats higher, to even giving you new ones! Each type of gemstone is unique, and responds to the creator's skill and dedication to produce unbelievable effects...though I may be one of the few who can actually feel those effects because of my magic..." she trailed off, cheeks warm from embarrassment at going on a tangent.

"Hmm..." Naofumi hummed in thought. 'That might not be a bad idea. Crafting some of our own gear would save a lot of trouble, and we _do_ have a ton of stuff from all the monsters we've beaten. Something to consider later, I suppose.'

As the two women gushed over Therese's jewelry, Filo and Sho both left to explore the ship. One was looking for food, and the other was looking for anywhere he could find some peace and quiet to rest before night fell. That left Naofumi and L'arc to themselves.

"Well, what do you say we head to the deck? I heard they've got great beer and wine on board!" L'arc said, slinging an arm over the slightly shorter man's shoulders. Naofumi wasn't amused, but agreed to go with him.

'After all, it's rare for Raphtalia to have someone her age to really talk to. She deserves to be a girl for a while.' he thought with a smile.

As it turned out, L'arc was the kind of person that Naofumi got along with very well. He spoke freely and without worrying about embarrassing himself, but he easily befriended and cared about people he hadn't even met. If it weren't for the flippant attitude, Naofumi thought he wouldn't look out of place wearing a shining set of white knight armor.

THe two men bonded quickly, and Naofumi learned that the redhead was an adventurer as well. They bonded so well that Naofumi offered to grind through monsters as a party together for one day, and L'arc was more than happy to accept. It was strange for the Shield Hero to feel so at ease talking with someone new. He put on a polite front whenever he met someone, if only to keep Raphtalia from worrying about him, but he was always wary.

After all, being careless around someone new was what almost got him killed as soon as he got here. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Night quickly fell aboard the ship, and there were two distinct groups on deck. The first group was drinking and chatting casually with smiles on their faces and warm cheeks. L'arc had strong-armed Naofumi into this group despite the hero's protests, and Raphtalia had joined them with Therese at the table. She was cautious of the wine and beers that were generously placed on their table by a host, but the raccoon sipped on her glass regardless.

She just hoped she wouldn't end up like she did the first time she drank with her master. What little she could remember of that night still made her groan in embarrassment.

Sho stood on the bow of the ship, admiring the way the stars reflected off of the surface of the water. Surprisingly, Ren stood with him in contemplative silence. The orc had no reason to respect the human who chose to stand beside him, but made no attempt to move.

Filo sang and danced with the miscellaneous adventurers and travellers who were also on the boat. The musicians with lyres and flutes helped her performance turn the heads of the crowd, and many clapped in rhythm to the music.

The second group was comprised of Motoyasu and Itsuki, alone with a small group of their party members who looked exhausted. The arrogance that Naofumi was used to seeing from them both was nowhere to be seen. They seemed empty and lost, and if it hadn't been for the way the two had treated him in the past, Naofumi would at least make an attempt to comfort them somehow.

As it was, he had no intention of doing so.

Especially when a tipsy Raphtalia began to sway slightly in her chair, giggling at something that Therese had said. Based on their mischievous expressions, Naofumi knew they were up to something. However, he'd let them have their fun.

"How ya doin' over there, Naofumi? You look like you're totally fine, and you've had just as many beers as me!" L'arc said with a boisterous laugh that drew more attention than the Shield Hero was comfortable with. He shook his head before taking another swig of his beverage.

"I just handle my alcohol really well, L'arc. I just don't get drunk easily."

"That's not fair! I had a bet going on with Raphtalia that I could out-drink you!"

Naofumi huffed out a quick laugh that became full-blown laughter. He leaned onto the table, propping his head up with his hand as his laughter died down into chuckles. Wiping a tear from his eye, he apologized. "Sorry, sorry. I just know that's something she would do. Make a bet that she already knows she's won."

"You haven't won yet, Naofumi!" the redhead exclaimed in defense. "The night is still young, and we have plenty of drinks to have!"

The two women at the table giggled even more, and Naofumi was getting suspicious. "Alright, what are you two up to?" he asked with a smirk. "Therese, you had better not be corrupting her."

Raphtalia pouted, leaning over the table in a slightly exaggerated fashion. "But Naofumiiiiii, I think she's more innocent than I am!"

Therese's mouth fell open in shock before she swatted the raccoon's shoulder. "I am not! Raphtalia, don't you remember what you asked me earlier!?"

The Tanuki blushed a deep scarlet, causing the other woman to giggle behind her hand victoriously. "Hoho, did you already forget? How you asked me what it's like to k-"

"AAAAHHHH no no I haven't forgotten!" Raphtalia cut her off, waving her hands in front of Therese's face while blushing harder than ever. "But anyway Naofumi, how do you, uhh...like the ocean?" she changed the subject as fast as she could, and it was so obvious that Naofumi and L'arc shared a few chuckles.

"Wonder what they talked about?" L'arc asked Naofumi, who shrugged.

"No idea. I'll find out one way or another, for better or worse."

Therese's giggles intensified. "For yours and Raphtalia's sake, I hope you do!"

"Therese! I swear if you tell him I'll throw you overboard!" the raccoon shrieked, reaching to strangle the other woman. The gemstone user quickly stood from the table and began running away as Raphtalia chased her around the deck. The two men burst into laughter at their antics.

"They sure get along well." Naofumi noted. "It's nice, seeing Raphtalia open up like that to someone so quickly. We've had to be all business for so long, and I was worried about her."

"So you like her, right?" L'arc asked, making the hero choke as he took a swig of beer from his mug. The redhead patted him on the back as he coughed, trying idly to help him recover.

"What!?"

"It's obvious, kiddo! You both even call each other by your given names. Besides, I think you two look cute together."

"You think so?..." Naofumi mumbled, taking another sip of his drink more carefully this time. L'arc did the same, the two men sitting in comfortable silence for a few moments. "She was a slave, you know."

"Who, Raphtalia?" L'arc asked, eyebrow raised in interest and hands behind his head.

"Yeah. I was the one who saved her from that hell, and she's been with me ever since."

The redhead whistled. "Sounds like one hell of a story to tell your future kids, eh?" he smirked, nudging Naofumi with his elbow. The hero was unamused.

"You don't get it. She may look like an adult, but she's technically only ten years old. Demi-humans age differently when they're forced to level up." Naofumi admitted, looking downcast. "I don't know if I should feel weird about the fact that she likes me or not. Back where I'm from, being in a relationship with someone that young is against the law, so it's just strange that I feel something for her."

L'arc hummed in thought, leaning back in his chair before shrugging. "Hmm...Well, if you like her, tell her."

"I can't do that!"

"Why not?" the man asked. "You can't just string her along forever, you know. That'll hurt her more than you think."

"I know, I know. It's just...is it really okay to be thinking about something like that when we have to deal with the Waves? I mean, if one of us dies-"

"It shouldn't matter."

Naofumi looked up in surprise at L'arc's serious tone and expression. The redhead looked right at him with unflinching eyes. "If you care about her, tell her. If one of you dies, the other will be hurt whether you're her friend or her boyfriend. Worrying about the what-if's is just starving yourself of what you really want."

Naofumi soaked in the man's words of wisdom in silence. 'Is it okay to be selfish for once?...' he thought to himself. The rest of the night passed in the blink of an eye, and Naofumi felt like he could finally feel somewhat comfortable accepting his companion's affections. He lay in bed that night, ready to fall asleep before one sudden thought hit him that kept him up for much longer than necessary.

'How the hell do I tell a girl I like her!?'

The night passed without incident, and as the morning gave way to the glory of the rising sun over the horizon, the boat made landfall. Immediately following their arrival, Naofumi and his party were approached by a short girl with blue hair tied into pigtails. She cleared her throat.

"Ahem. You are the Shield Hero, Iwatani Naofumi, yes?" she asked, using a tone that reminded Naofumi far too much of the snooty nobles in Siltvelt.

"Yup, that's me." Naofumi lazily replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, moving to walk past her. "I don't do autographs, so beat it kid."

"Master Naofumi! Don't be so rude!" Raphtalia cried, running to catch up with him. The others followed, leaving the girl to stare with her mouth agape.

"AHEM!" she cleared her throat loudly. "I'm not finished talking with you yet! You can't just walk away from me before I tell you why I'm talking to you!"

Naofumi looked back at her over his shoulder. "Why not? You're just here to escort me to my room or whatever, right? We can find it on our own."

The bluenette's cheeks were aflame with embarrassment and indignation, but she forced it down with a deep breath. "You may be mistaking me for someone else. My name is Princess Melty Melromarc, and I-"

"Not interested." Naofumi said with a cold tone, turning and walking away. He would have made it further than a few steps if the girl hadn't run in front of him, blocking his path. He glowered down at her. "What do you want? Your dad and your sister have fucked me over enough; I don't need another one to add to my list of problems."

The mention of her older sister cooled the rage within Melty's chest, and she looked down in sadness. "Look. My mother, the queen, wants to meet with you sometime today. I know you probably don't think very highly of my family-"

"I don't."

His immediate response made her pause as she winced. "BUT, we both wish to extend our deepest apologies for how my father and sister have treated you. It would make both of us very happy if you would accept our request."

He groaned, turning to see the princess bowing her head deeply. Sighing in defeat, he rubbed his forehead. "Ugh, fine I'll meet with her. Just tell her I'll be around and she can find me...whenever, I guess."

As they walked away, Raphtalia pinched his side causing him to wince. "Master Naofumi." she said threateningly. He didn't back down.

"You know what their family has put me through, Raphtalia. Their country is a shitshow that allowed you to be a slave, and their princess and king almost had me executed for something I didn't do. If the Queen is really so apologetic, she'd get on her damn knees and beg for forgiveness."

"That's not how you should assume people are." she chided with a disapproving look. "I know that they made life hard for you, but you've never even met the queen. Speaking of which, where _was_ the Queen during all that time? Melromarc is a matriarchy, isn't it?" she wondered out loud.

Naofumi's anger subsided at that thought. "You know, you're right about that. Weird..." he put a hand to his chin in thought. "Why was the king in charge in the first place?..."

Sho had no context for the conversation, and stayed silent. Filo, however, voiced her opinions very clearly. "Master! We should go check in at the inn then go see those people!"

Deciding to ask the queen those questions himself, Naofumi smiled at her. "You know what? That doesn't sound like a bad idea. After checking in to their room at the inn, they were quickly met with a woman clothed completely in black.

"Shield Hero. I am here to escort you to her majesty, I daresay." she said, kneeling. Naofumi raised an eyebrow at her verbal tic, but merely followed her. Filo desperately wanted to go visit the stores nearby, and Raphtalia followed to supervise and possibly buy some items herself. Sho wandered off to survey the land alone, and find some good hunting spots for later.

The Shield Hero soon entered an extravagant building obviously built for royalty, though not as much as either castle he'd visited so far. The woman escorted him to a conference room with two chairs and a fireplace, and oddly casual setting for someone of royal blood. Entering, he was greeted by a woman with purple hair and an extraordinarily expensive-looking dress.

"Ah Shield Hero, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." the woman said, standing and bowing. Everything from her tone to her mannerisms oozed elegance and grace, and it made Naofumi slightly uncomfortable. "I am Mirellia Q Melromarc, Queen of Melromarc."

Naofumi held his tongue and merely introduced himself, though it was through gritted teeth. "Iwatani Naofumi. What do you want?"

She ignored his attitude completely. "Please, come sit with me. I know that my family has done horrible things to you, and I want us to speak on equal terms." she said, sitting in her chair and motioning for him to do the same.

"I prefer to stand, thanks."

"I insist, _please take a seat_, Lord Naofumi." she said in a sickly sweet tone.

"Just tell me what you want so I can leave."

Mirellia sighed. "Very well then, I'll speak freely." She bowed her head deeply. "I am so sorry for what my husband and daughter have done to you. I should have been there to stop them, and you suffered through such terrible things because of my absence."

Naofumi was slightly shocked that a member of the royal family would actually take the blame for anything, but his anger bubbled to the surface. "Do you really think an apology is enough? They would have _killed_ me if I hadn't ran away from your entire kingdom! They sent knights after me!"

She bowed her head even further. "I understand that you were treated unfairly, and no apology is truly enough to make up for that." she said, visibly trembling and sniffling with tears in her eyes. "But please remember that although I am a queen, I'm also a mother who recently lost a daughter. These times have not been easy for either of us."

Naofumi deflated, losing some of his anger. "Keep in mind that this is the same daughter who framed me for rape and wanted me killed. She wasn't exactly what I'd call 'the good child'." he said, using his fingers for air quotes.

Another sob wracked the queen. "Malty did have a bad habit of lying to get her way, and I suppose both I and her father enabled her by not disciplining her properly. I had thought that denying her the rights to the throne would put her on the right path, but I was very wrong."

"Rights to the throne? So you mean that kid...Melty? She's the next queen?"

The queen nodded, rising from her bow and wiping the tears from her eyes. "You are correct. After one of Malty's stunts, we stripped her of the rights to become queen despite being the firstborn child. Melty, Gods bless her heart, is a much more trustworthy heir."

The hero sneered. "Regardless, what exactly did you call me here for? I doubt you'd go through the trouble of coming here just to apologize. Where the hell were you, anyway?"

Sitting back down, Mirellia motioned for him to join her and Naofumi did this time. "As you may have been told by the Council of Siltvelt, King Aultcray chose to summon all four heroes in secret. This violated not only the terms that gave ownership of the Shield Hero's summoning to Siltvelt, but also the consensus that was made between the countries regarding summoning order. Melromarc was the last in line to summon a _single_ hero."

Naofumi knew some of this, but remained silent as the queen continued her explanation. "I knew that if word got out about Melromarc summoning all four heroes at once, the other countries would be outraged. Siltvelt would probably declare another war, and both Faubley and Shieldfreeden would cut off trade with Melromarc completely. Because I couldn't reverse the summoning, I left Melromarc to negotiate with the other countries to mitigate the damage caused by my buffoon of a husband."

Hearing her call her own husband such a thing made Naofumi smirk a bit, but he understood the gravity of the situation. "So basically, you left the king on his own to rule _your _country while you went to fix _his_ mistake?" he asked, earning a nod. "Don't you think that was...I dunno...the _worst_ thing you could have done?"

The queen shook her head. "It was the lesser of two evils, sadly. I could have stayed in my country and awaited the inevitable backlash of summoning all four heroes, or left to make sure my country was not destroyed by isolation. The only way any of us will survive the Waves of Calamity is to work together." She sighed weakly. "If I'm being brutally honest with you, I truly thought my husband would have put aside his prejudice for the Shield Hero after this decade of relative peace. The fact that I was wrong disappoints me more than you know."

"What exactly happened to make him hate the Shield Hero so much? It seemed weird that there's an entire religion dedicated to hating me."

Mirellia scoffed. "A childish thing, really. Aultcray's blind sister ended up marrying a demi-human noble who idolized the Shield Hero. She was apparently killed by a Hakuko, a demi-human tiger of the same type as her husband. At first, he wanted nothing more than to wipe every non-human from the world."

Naofumi looked at her incredulously. "And you _married_ someone like that!? If you're trying to paint yourself in a good light, you may want to try something different."

She snorted, shaking her head. "He was far from perfect, but he had admirable qualities. He was always a shrewd tactician and a wise leader, and at the time the war was the only thing on the citizens' minds. He was the Staff Hero, once."

"Staff Hero? I thought there were only four legendary weapons?"

"There are only four legendary weapons, but there are eight more that make up the Seven Star Weapons. These weapons are handed down unlike the legendary weapons, but they choose whether or not someone is worthy of wielding them. Some time after the war ended, my husband was deemed no longer worthy of wielding the Staff."

Naofumi scratched his head. "That's...a lot to take in at once."

Mirellia chuckled, hiding her face behind a fan. "Indeed, but I'm glad I could explain some things to you while you're here. Furthermore, I have a question for you."

"Go on, then." he said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

"If you had the opportunity to punish my husband for what he did to you, what kind of punishment would you wish upon him?"

He raised an eyebrow, disbelief painted on his face. "...You've gotta be messing with me."

"Not at all. My first daughter Malty was the one mostly responsible for your unfair treatment, and she has already been taken by the reaper. May she repent in the afterlife. However, the king still lives, and justice must be served. Who better to decide his fate than the one who was harmed by his negligence?"

Naofumi's glare turned dark. "Honestly? Nothing would make me happier than to see him treated exactly how he treated me. Thrown to the wolves with absolutely nothing to defend himself and nobody willing to lift a finger on his behalf." he said, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth in anger as the memories surfaced. "What he did to me would drive most people to kill themselves, so this world is pretty damn lucky that I caught a lucky break. No thanks to him, of course."

"What kind of 'lucky break' are you referring to? Your ability to override the restriction of your Shield being your only weapon?" the queen asked, glancing down at the blade that sat on his hip then back to his eyes.

The hero nodded. "That, and more."

"If you're referring to the demon within your item, I would caution you against trusting it."

His eyes widened. "How did you-"

"Know about Zephyrus, God of the West Winds and demon lord? I know many things that would surprise you, Shield Hero." Mirellia looked smug, hiding her face behind that extravagant fan of hers. Naofumi nearly growled, but held it in. "But that is neither here nor there. It goes without saying that he was sealed into the Shield for a good reason, but you have already tapped into his powers so you should know the risks."

Naofumi groaned, rolling his eyes. "I know, I know. Becoming a demi-demon is bad, I've heard it before. I didn't even have to use it in the last Wave, so I think I'm handling myself alright."

"Demi-demon?" the queen looked genuinely confused. "Is that what is happening to you? I noticed the strange scar on your face, but did not want to offend you."

He lazily waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. "Eh, it's grown on me a little, so I don't mind it too much as long as I don't touch it. Anyway, do you have stalkers or something following me around? How do you know so damn much?"

The black-garbed woman from earlier emerged from the shadows of the room, making Naofumi snap his neck to the side to see her. Mirellia suppressed a chuckle at his expression. "I have my Shadows all over my kingdom, and a few that will go outside its borders. They are my eyes and ears, so it is only natural that one would be observing your movements."

"If you're going to have someone following me, at least have them let me know. If they went into Siltvelt and got caught, things wouldn't go so well."

"She did not follow you into Siltvelt, but I knew whenever you would leave the city. You handled yourself very well during the Wave, and made yourself two very powerful allies in both the orc clan and the demi-human Council. The latter was much more expected, however."

"Well, whatever." Naofumi finished, standing up to leave but was interrupted by the queen.

"Ah, one last thing." He turned his head to look down at the purple haired woman, who remained seated. "I feel it is my duty to ask, but will you protect Melromarc from the Waves if need be? The other heroes are beaten and battered, and it has been made obvious that they cannot do it by themselves."

Naofumi scoffed. "So you want me to clean up their mess? Shouldn't you be fine having a single hero on your side?"

Mirellia shook her head with a sigh. "Unfortunately, it would seem that the other three heroes lack certain qualities that a hero should have. They have the weapons and the skills to use them in battle, but their priorities were in the wrong place. Hopefully the recent failure against the Wave has opened their eyes, but it may not be enough."

The hero held her gaze for several seconds in a battle of wills. She wanted nothing more than for him to offer his protection if he was needed, and he wanted nothing more than to decline. "The people of Melromarc wouldn't want to be saved by a demon like me, you know."

"But that is what a hero does, no? Save those people even if they are hated for it?"

"You're grasping at straws here. I'm not stepping foot in Melromarc again unless I know I won't be attacked or discriminated against."

"You would have a royal decree signed by myself, stating that you are to be treated as any of the other three heroes would be."

Naofumi groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration and closing his eyes. "Dammit, you're really set on this."

"It is my duty as a queen to do what's best for her country and her people."

He finally sighed in defeat. "Fine, if we're in the same place, I'll help fight the Wave. I'm not going out of my way to help Melromarc specifically though, since I still have allies in Siltvelt that may need my help as well. They don't have any other heroes on their side, but they do have the Ghorbash clan of orcs not far away."

The queen bowed her head. "That is all I can ask for, I suppose. Thank you for your generosity and your protection, Lord Shield. Now, go back to your companions and enjoy your time here while you can. If you have need of anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask and I will do anything within my power to make it happen."

"I'll be holding you to that." Naofumi said with finality, leaving the room and making his way out to the market. He was quickly approached by Sho, who walked with him.

"Talk with ruler, go well?" the orc asked in his usual deep, flat and almost uninterested tone.

Naofumi rolled his eyes and shrugged. "As well as I could hope for. The queen is much nicer than her husband, that's for sure."

"This king, he bad ruler?"

"Yeah. Really bad. He's an unjust ruler who is only on a throne because he married someone powerful."

The orc grumbled and nodded. "In orc clans, ruler chosen by strength, not birth or connections. Ghorbash is strongest of us, earned title from previous Chief. If king weak, his warriors weak. Soldiers need powerful leaders to feel good following orders."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow as they walked. "You seem to know a lot about how to run an army, Sho."

"Ghorbash is...relative of mine." the orc revealed, much to Naofumi's surprise. "He is older brother. Stronger and wiser than me. I help keep warriors happy and bellies full. He leads soldiers, I keep them ready to fight."

"Why did he choose to have you come with us, anyway? Doesn't the clan need you now more than ever?"

"No. No wars to fight for now, no human tribes or cities trying to kill us. Ghorbash focus on building new home until we can return to our own...If we can."

They walked past a stall that sold unbelievably expensive jewelry, and Naofumi paused for a moment. As he spoke with the shopkeeper, Sho stood by patiently. Although the woman's prices were astronomically higher than he was willing to pay, Naofumi instead purchased a set of tools that would come in handy for a variety of things.

A more precise hammer, a miniature whetstone, and some other miscellaneous items that would allow him to both keep equipment in peak condition, as well as create some new things on his own. Through all of their adventures, Naofumi had accumulated a hoard of rare reagents, metals, and gems that could all be used for various things.

'Plus, Therese did say that most jewelry could be enchanted to give certain power boosts...' he thought to himself, also purchasing a book on jewelcrafting and enchantments while he was there. Storing the items in his inventory, he walked back to the orc who was busy looking around for danger.

"You don't have to be afraid of every single person here, you know. I doubt any of them will bother attacking us."

"Too careless, get you killed. Most dangerous when you feel safe." Sho replied, crossing his large arms over his broad chest.

"Can't argue with that, I guess. Just let me know if there's anyone in particular we should watch out for."

"Sir."

They continued walking through the markets before spotting Raphtalia and Filo with several items in their hands. As they saw him and Sho, they smiled and walked forward.

"Master Naofumi! How did everything go with the queen?" the Tanuki asked, smiling at her master. "I know you were pretty hesitant to go, so..."

"It went alright. She's not the worst person from Melromarc, at least." he said before changing the subject. "Did you guys find everything you wanted? We have plenty of money thanks to Siltvelt covering all of our costs while we were there."

Filo showed off a pink bathing suit that was covered in frills. "We got clothes to go swimming in! Sis got hers in blue and looked really pretty!"

Raphtalia blushed slightly. "I-it's nothing too special..."

"Well good. I need to pick something out for myself, and Sho may need something as well. Lead the way, Raphtalia." Naofumi said, and the group made their way to the tailor's shop to buy swim trunks for the hero. Raphtalia took extra time to find something that would look good with his hair and eyes, and settled with a pair of gray trunks with a green diamond pattern on the sides.

Sho mentioned that he usually just wore a loincloth, but after Raphtalia said that was considered inappropriate, opted for a simple set of brown trunks with no designs. He didn't plan to use them too often, anyway.

Having gotten their shopping out of the way, the party went to one of the outer islands to hunt for monsters. The other three heroes had chosen the main island as their hunting grounds, but would be fighting over the best spots for monsters to appear. Choosing to go to the less-populated areas would mean less monsters, but less competition over the experience and the drops.

With any luck, rarer monsters would be more likely to show up in places that were less crowded. Rare monsters meant rare item drops, and although Naofumi never considered himself a hoarder, he truly thought that there was no such thing as having too much at his disposal.

At least when he had a magical dimension in his pocket that could store an infinite amount of stuff.

Without a ship specifically dedicated to moving between islands, they were forced to swim. Filo, being the strongest swimmer in her filolial form, let the others ride on her back while she did most of the work. After reaching the outermost island and drying themselves off, the group was almost immediately attacked by a massive group of tiny purple slimes.

Naofumi crushed it underneath his shoe, gaining a massive 120 experience points for his effort. His eyes widened. 'That's almost the amount that I would normally get fighting a level 40 monster, and these things are level 12!' His grin turned feral as they all began slicing and stomping their way through the small creatures.

Occasionally, a different type of monster would appear and provide a bit more of a challenge, but for the most part it was almost boring how easy they were to defeat. After the first few hours, the sun began dipping below the horizon.

"Master Naofumi, perhaps it's time to take a break?" Raphtalia asked, holding out her sword for him to inspect. "This sword doesn't look like it'll last much longer, and you're starting to look pretty exhausted yourself."

"You think so? I bet I could go on for another few hours." he responded, running his finger along the flat end of the blade. "You're right about the sword, though. I'll try fixing it tonight, since I bought some things while we were in town."

"You don't need to push yourself too hard, you know." the raccoon waggled a finger in his face. "We have a whole week here, and if we wear ourselves out on the first day then it'll be hard to enjoy ourselves while we can."

Sho looked around, noting the lack of monsters attacking. "Less creatures. Good time for camp, make food. Rest feet and arms. Hunt more in dark."

Filo fell backwards, stretching her arms out. "Finally! These things are sooooo weak! Why can't we fight something big and scary?"

Raphtalia nodded sadly. "I have to agree with her, Master Naofumi. These things aren't much of a challenge."

The hero hummed in thought. "The experience we're getting is well worth it, though. Maybe the monsters will be a little stronger at night." he thought out loud. "Anyway, Raphtalia and I will set up camp. Can you two look for something to eat? These slimes didn't exactly give us any meat or vegetables to work with."

The orc and the filolial nodded before walking away, leaving the hero and his Tanuki companion to set up the two tents and sleeping bags as well as starting a fire. The monsters had stopped attacking not long ago, and Naofumi assumed it would take some time for their numbers to recover after the slaughter that had just taken place.

Sho and Filo soon returned carrying a small variety of berries and some fish. Evidently, Sho was very skilled at bow fishing. Filo, with her strong limps even in her human state, had little trouble catching fish and dragging them out of the water.

After dinner, the group allowed themselves to relax. Raphtalia, Filo and Sho had all chosen to take a nap in preparation for their late-night hunt, but Naofumi took the time to repair their weapons using the whetstone and other tools he had purchased. A tip appeared in his vision as soon as he began.

**Novice Blacksmith: Ability to repair damaged weapons and armor to a slightly less damaged state.**

**Tip #148: One's ability to repair weapons and armor are tied to their Blacksmithing skill. The higher the skill, the better they are at keeping equipment in good condition. Once someone is considered a Master Blacksmith, they can repair things so well that they become better than they originally were.**

He managed to clean up some of the jagged edges of both his and Raphtalia's swords. Because they hadn't taken any serious damage since the Wave, their armor didn't need any maintenance. Now that he had some free time and some privacy, Naofumi laid out some of his raw materials and got to work on his little pet project.

Taking out a small gem, his tools, and the jewelcrafting book, Naofumi got to work. He skimmed the first few pages of history and important figures that he didn't care much for, then he landed on the actual steps of how to begin.

'Hmm...I guess I have to make a base first, shape the gem itself to fit that base, then attach the base to an actual piece of jewelry. Sounds simple enough, but how am I supposed to shape this gem when it just looks like a colorful rock?' he thought to himself, brow furrowed in concentration. 'Oh well, here goes nothing.'

He started off small by making a flat and circular base. Using a small set of bellows and the heat of the fire, as well as a special pot, he managed to melt down a chunk of silver ore into liquid form. The hero tilted the pot to the side, allowing the pure liquid to drain into a mold while any impurities would remain in the first pot. The mold made this part easy, and before he knew it Naofumi was holding a nearly perfect jewel base.

'Is it really that easy?' he wondered, examining the piece from all sides to see if there were any flaws. 'It can't possibly be that simple, unless I have some kind of skill that's making this turn out better than it should. Oh well.'

Next came the hard part: shaping the gem to fit the base. Using a hammer and a small chisel, he chipped away at one end of the fire opal to make the flat end. Eventually, he had a mostly circular bottom half and a roughly dome-shaped top half of the gem. At one point while he was trying to make it more circular, his hammer strike went awry, cracking the entire stone down the center and ruining his progress. He'd had to start over from scratch on the gem, which took another hour to do.

However, the second attempt was much better than the first. He now held a pretty-close-to-perfect gemstone in his hand, and it fit perfectly to the base he had created.

The last step was to create the actual piece of jewelry, which had him stumped. 'What should I even make? I guess it doesn't really matter, but it needs to be practical if it's going to be worn in combat. That rules out a lot of options. Hmm...'

Eventually deciding on a simple bracelet, he got to work on creating the piece. Opting for a simple bracelet with a thin band and no extra design made this part much easier than he expected. All he really needed to do was create a small, rectangular mold to shape the liquid and allow it to cool just long enough to be somewhat malleable. Then, he set the metal over a piece of perfectly curved metal and lightly tapped it with his hammer to shape it properly.

Within a few hours, Naofumi was holding his first piece of completed jewelry. It was called a **Fire Opal Bangle**, and gave a very small percentage bonus to the wearer's HP. Not extraordinary, but it was worth having as opposed to nothing.

The man smiled as he examined the item in wonder. 'So this is what it feels like to make something more complicated in this world. I know I did some crafting in those games I used to play, but the process was more simplified and felt more like a chore than anything else. This was...pretty satisfying, actually.' He would be lying if he said it wasn't fun to create something so extraordinary, even if it did have a lot of complex steps that took quite a bit of time.

He had situated himself far enough away from the camp to make sure he didn't interrupt his party's rest, and by now the sun had long gone down. Sho was the first to awaken, and the orc stretched to wake himself up.

"You stay awake whole time, No-foomi? No rest?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

The hero shook his head before presenting the fruit of his labor. "I decided to pick up a hobby of sorts. I guess I got a little too focused and lost track of time."

"We take easy tonight, then. Not hunt for too long. You need rest." Sho said, apparently taking charge of their schedule for the rest of the night. The orc leaned a bit closer to look at the piece of jewelry in the man's hand. "Very pretty hobby."

"Thanks, Sho. It's a little rough around the edges, but I think I'll try again tomorrow."

"Maybe you try make softer bed to sleep on. Back aches." he said with what appeared to be a mocking smirk.

Naofumi huffed a quick chuckle. "Heh, I'll see what I can do."

The hero woke up his two remaining companions, much to Filo's disappointment. Raphtalia stretched her arms above her head with a yawn, before her eyes landed on what was being held in her master's hand.

"Umm, Master Naofumi? What's that you're holding?" she asked, ears perking up in curiosity.

"Oh this?" he said, handing it to her. "Just a little something I made while you all were asleep. It's nothing special, but I had fun making it. Oh, and I fixed our swords a bit too."

Raphtalia's eyes shined as she examined the bracelet like some kind of ancient relic. "You made this!? How!?"

He shrugged. "I bought a beginner's manual and some essentials from a jeweler this morning. Remember how Therese said that gems could boost your stats? I figured it would be nice to have some of our own. After all, we have plenty of gems and metals from all the monster's we've killed."

"It's so beautiful! How did you make it so well if it was only your first time?" the raccoon asked, letting the glow of the campfire reflect off of the reddish-green surface of the gemstone. "And what kind of gem is this, anyway? The way the light shines on it is amazing."

"That's a fire opal, and I honestly have no idea how it turned out so well. Maybe I'm just naturally talented?" Naofumi scratched his cheek with his finger. "Do you want it? I was just going to-"

"Yes!" Raphtalia immediately shouted, tail wagging uncontrollably behind her. After noticing that her outburst was much louder than she wanted, she blushed. "U-uh, I mean, of course I want it! You put in the effort to make it, after all!"

Naofumi chuckled at her. "It's not the strongest boost, but it will give you a little more stamina during a fight. I made sure to fit it to your wrist, since I figured a woman would be the one who wore it."

"When did you-"

"While you were asleep."

"..." The Tanuki was silent for a few seconds, blushing. Then she pouted. "If you weren't so thoughtful, I'd say that was creepy."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I had to know how big it should be or it wouldn't fit anyone. Then it really wouldn't be worth anything. Anyway, are you ready to get going?"

"Yes, I'm ready when everyone else is. What's our plan, just go around killing anything we can find?"

"Pretty much. Sho is convinced that I need time to rest, so we won't be out for too long. Hopefully we'll find a few stronger enemies that make this excursion worth the effort." he replied, packing up the tent and sleeping bags while she moved to snuff out the campfire.

A rustling in the bushes drew their attention, and everyone at the camp drew their weapons to defend themselves.

"Woah, woah! Easy there kiddo, it's just us!"

They relaxed as L'arc and Therese stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the fire. The man was wielding what looked like a scythe in his hand. Naofumi let go of the breath he was holding.

"Oh, it's just you L'arc. What's going on? I didn't know you were out here too."

The redhead raised an eyebrow, leaning against the shaft of his scythe. "What do you mean 'what's going on?' It's dangerous to stay out here at night, you know."

"That was kind of my intention, actually. All these weaklings were starting to bore us."

Therese shook her head with a concerned look. "The monsters get much more powerful and aggressive at night, and if you're out this far from the main island then you'd have to survive the entire night with no chance of getting help."

L'arc sent a serious look in Naofumi's direction. "The point is, I don't want my friends going off and dying on me. So we're taking you back with us to town, got it kiddo?"

Something in the man's head ground to a halt. "Friend?"

"Uh, yeah? What else do you think we'd be?" L'arc asked in a disbelieving tone, walking up and slinging an arm over the hero's shoulders. "I'd have to be pretty heartless to call you anything less than that, at least."

Naofumi chuckled awkwardly, averting his eyes. "Y-yeah...I guess so." He turned to his companions. "I guess we're calling it quits for the night. Looks like I'm getting that rest after all, Sho." the man sent a smirk in the orc's direction, and they both chuckled.

"Maybe get good bed this time, too."


	12. Chapter 13

**It's that time again!**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells

**As always, feel free to review!**

Naofumi awoke the next morning feeling a little too energetic for how little he slept. Even after coming back to the inn in the dead of night, he found that he was too restless to fall asleep. He made sure his party members were fully asleep before sneaking outside and working more on his jewelcrafting. By this point, he'd already unlocked both the **Novice Jewelcrafting** and **Apprentice Jewelcrafting** skills, which made the end results of his work slightly better than usual.

When he finally wore himself out and fell asleep, Naofumi had crafted accessories for every one of his companions. They were slightly more powerful than the one he had originally made, giving more moderate bonuses as opposed to the very minor one that the Fire Opal Bangle gave.

The hero immediately noticed that his party members were nowhere to be seen. 'I must have slept in longer than I thought. I wonder where they are?' he thought to himself with a stretch. His gaze was drawn to a small note left on the nightstand beside him, and he vaguely recognized Raphtalia's handwriting from when she had taught him the alphabet.

'You looked tired so we went to the beach. Meet us there when you wake up! 😺 - Raphtalia'

Naofumi couldn't help but smile slightly. 'She even added a little smiling face with cat ears. That's adorable.' That thought made him momentarily stop as he was putting on his swim trunks. 'Did I just think she's adorable!? Oh man, I must have it worse than I thought...'

He sighed weakly. "Maybe L'arc is right, and I should just tell her how I feel..." he mumbled, keeping all of his other clothing and equipment stored in his shield. Opting for a casual look, he switched to the **Peddler's Shield** to avoid looking strange with a shield strapped to his arm on the beach. The man furrowed his brow as he departed for the shoreline. 'How do I know if what I'm feeling are relationship feelings and not just like...a family attachment, though?'

Naofumi groaned, wiping a hand down his face in frustration. 'Why do women have to be so difficult..?' he thought to himself.

"We're not that hard to understand, if you know the right questions to ask."

The hero nearly lost his balance from how quickly his head turned toward the speaker. His eyes widened as they laid themselves upon Therese Alexanderite, clothed in a simple bikini and a small brown bag slung over her shoulder.

"..."

"It's rude to stare, you know." she chided with an innocent smile.

"S-sorry. Did I say that out loud?" Naofumi responded, red dusting on his cheeks.

"Loud enough for me to hear it while walking behind you, so yes." the gem user giggled behind her hand in a very proper fashion, catching up to him. "You're headed to the water to relax, right?" she asked, motioning to his current attire.

"Uh, yeah. Raphtalia and the others are already there, and they told me to meet them when I woke up. I kinda...got caught up in something last night."

"Walk with me, then. L'arc takes ages to get ready in the mornings, so he told me to go on ahead." Therese sighed wearily. "I swear he's secretly a woman, what with how much time he spends putting different things in his hair to keep it styled properly."

Naofumi blinked. "Huh. I never would have thought. He seemed a little too...carefree to worry much about his appearance."

Another giggle was her response. "I thought the same thing at first, but he proved me wrong very quickly. So what's this 'something' you got caught up in? We didn't even get back to the inns until the middle of the night, so it's no wonder you woke up so late." she asked, inclining her head toward him with curious eyes.

Reaching into his inventory, Naofumi pulled out one of his new creations: a solid gold hairpin encrusted with three small azurite gems. Therese's eyes shot open in surprise as he presented it to her. He chuckled at her reaction. "I decided to take some of your advice, actually. I made this last night for Filo, and I think I've got a bit of a knack for it."

The bluenette's eyes shined in amazement as she reached toward the jewelry before stopping just short. "May I?" she asked. At his nod, she took the hairpin and examined it from all sides. "It's absolutely flawless...you said you made this yourself? You didn't even know about gems until I told you two nights ago, and here you are making something like this!? Are you some kind of master craftsman!?"

He chuckled, scratching his cheek and looking away. "No, not really. And yeah, I bought a few things at the jeweler's shop in the market and decided to give it a try. Turns out it was a lot more fun than I expected. That's probably the third or fourth piece of jewelry I've ever made, and I think it's not half bad."

"Not half bad!?" Therese nearly screeched. "This is incredible! If you polished your skills, you could easily be one of the best jewelcrafters I've ever seen!"

"I really wouldn't go _that_ far..." he mumbled with a small blush.

"In that case, let's test it." she offered, and Naofumi looked at her with interest. "If I give you the materials, would you make a piece of jewelry for me? I would pay you for your effort, of course."

He thought about it for a few moments. "It may take a few days to get it just right. Is that okay?"

She nodded with a beaming smile. "Of course! As long as it's done before the end of the week when we leave Cal Mira, you can take as long as you like!" she reached into her bag and pulled out another smaller bag filled with raw materials and gemstones. "Feel free to keep any extra materials from that bag. Consider it an advance payment." she winked at him.

The hero stuttered. "U-um, thanks, I guess. I won't let you down." he said with a small smile creeping onto his face.

A smile that vanished as soon as the woman continued her questions. "So what was this about women being complicated? Something on your mind, hmm?" she prodded with a smirk. Naofumi wasn't sure if the sweat on his face was from the heat of the sun or not, but that's the answer he told himself.

"N-nothing you need to worry too much about, seriously..." he gave, weakly. She shook her head while tutting.

"No no, this sounds like something I should be _very_ worried about. It's about Raphtalia, isn't it?" she asked with a knowing smile as the man's head snapped toward her in surprise.

"Did L'arc tell you?"

"No. You're both just so oblivious to it that it's cute, in a way." Therese said, causing Naofumi to facepalm. She clasped her hands behind her back as they left the market district and neared the docks. "It's easy to see that she has feelings for you, but doesn't know how to act on them."

Naofumi averted his eyes toward the ocean to watch the waves gently crash against the sand and rocks. "It's a little embarrassing to say, but I'm sort of in the same boat. I know I have feelings for her and I care a lot about her, but I'm just not sure what _kind_ of feelings they are." he said softly.

The bluenette nodded, slowing their pace as they approached the beach so their conversation could continue. The hero took notice of this and fell in step beside her. "She told me how you two met and how much you did for her. You're a very special person to her, and not just because you essentially saved her life. The only one who knows what's in your heart is _you_, but at least you can feel comfortable knowing that her feelings for you are completely genuine."

She stopped as she poked a finger into his chest. "But I warn you: don't take too long to tell her just because you know she likes you. It's hard for her to not know how you feel, so don't leave her hanging or it'll hurt her a lot."

Naofumi's eyes sharpened momentarily. "Don't worry, I won't become like _that_." his thoughts darkened as he thought about Motoyasu and the man's usual attitude whenever women were involved. How he was always so cocky and confident, knowing that every woman he spoke to was enamoured by his 'charms'.

'Maybe not so much anymore, though.' he thought, gaze softening as the concerned look from Therese drew him back to reality. 'The last Wave must have really screwed him up in the head to be so depressed on the ship. I haven't seen him or Itsuki since we landed on the shore, either.'

He shook his head with a sigh. "Y-yeah...I'll try to tell her. As soon as I figure out how the hell I'm supposed to tell her that I like her as more than just my companion." Naofumi rolled his eyes. "I already gave her an ordinary bracelet I made without even thinking about it, so there goes the idea of making her something special."

Therese hummed in thought. "What kinds of things does she like?" she asked, finger to her lips. "Knowing that is your first clue, then you should find a way to make her feel unique and special _to you_."

"What do you mean by that?" the man asked as they set foot on the warm sand. The beach seemed endless, and he had no idea how long it would take to find his party members by just walking around.

"That part is extremely simple, but very difficult at the same time."

"Like women in general, apparently. So many steps just to say 'hey, I think you're great and I enjoy being around you.'" Naofumi added in a snide tone, causing the other women to frown at him.

"That's no way to go about capturing a woman's heart! If you really want Raphtalia to know how much you like her, do something for her that you wouldn't do for anyone else. Make her feel like the only one deserving of that kind of treatment, and she'll get the idea."

The hero furrowed his brow, confused. "But what should I do?" he mumbled to himself.

Therese giggled. "Figuring that out is half the battle, Naofumi! You're on your own with that part!" she said, smiling with her eyes closed in a knowing manner. Then a look of realization crossed her features. "Oh, and don't bother asking L'arc what to do. If you thought you were clueless, you should see him try to woo a lady. He's too friendly and forward and it scares everyone off."

Naofumi gave an awkward chuckle. "Yeah...I guess I could see that happening." His gaze landed on an unusual sight. Two massive splashes were moving through the ocean at fairly high speeds, and occasionally Naofumi could catch a glimpse of green in one of them.

"Master Naofumi, over here!"

He walked over to where Raphtalia was seated in the sand, waving at the two of them. "Therese, too! Good morning!" The raccoon's smile could rival the sun itself at that moment, and Naofumi almost had to look away to avoid blinding himself.

The two women smiled brightly at each other. "Good morning to you as well, Raphtalia! You look beautiful today!" Only now did Naofumi truly get a look at his partner, and what he saw nearly made his head explode.

Raphtalia was clothed in a light blue bikini, covered by a dark blue cover-up that hid some of her bountiful chest. It also wrapped around her waist, shrouding a moderate amount of her body from sight in a way that was both appealing and erotic. Naofumi actually had to look away and hold his nose to prevent a nosebleed at the sight.

At his blushing face, the Tanuki tilted her head cutely at him. "Master Naofumi? Is something wrong?" she asked, ears twitching attentively. He took nervous glances between her and the ground beside him without moving his head. Several seconds passed before he responded.

"Raphtalia, you-I mean, you look, uhh...just..._wow_..." he stuttered. "You look amazing..." he finally managed to say, blush darkening as Raphtalia's face mirrored his own. Therese glanced between them with a smirk and stayed silent, but inwardly she was dying of laughter.

"Th-thank you, Master Naofumi. You look-" she took in the sight of her master in his grey and green swim trunks as well as his shockingly muscular chest partially covered by an open tropical shirt. She gulped. "Y-you look great too! I definitely chose the right color for you!" the raccoon deflected to the best of her ability, blush intensifying by the second.

A few more seconds of awkward silence followed and Therese decided to have mercy on them. She pointed to the commotion in the ocean. "What's going on out there?" the bluenette asked.

Naofumi honestly thought she was an angel in disguise for how much she was saving him right now.

Raphtalia sighed in relief, thankful for the distraction from how horribly she wanted to run her hands up and down her master's chest. "Oh! Filo told Sho that she could swim faster than him, and of course they both decided to go all out." she said with a roll of her eyes. "We're supposed to be relaxing, too..."

Naofumi broke out of his stupor and sighed. "I guess that's what happens when you put an overly competitive orc against a super powered filolial girl together. How long have they been going at it?"

"About half an hour now." Raphtalia deadpanned, crossing her arms under her chest. "Who would have thought those two would get along?"

Therese giggled behind her hand. "They do make an odd pair, but I think it's good for them to have an outlet for all their energy."

"Sho legitimately might not know what relaxing is, so this is probably good for him too." Naofumi said, moving to sit on the warm sand as the two women followed suit. "I still don't even know where the Ghorbash clan came from, so who knows what their lives were like until now." 

"Did you just say...Ghorbash?" Therese asked hesitantly, eyes wide in complete shock. Naofumi and Raphtalia gave her a curious look.

"Yeah, that's their clan's name. They appeared during one of the Waves not long ago, and we managed to keep us all from killing each other somehow. The Chief decided to send his younger brother along with us to learn more about this place as they settle into their new home."

"Is something wrong, Therese? You look a bit pale." The Tanuki noted with concern. The bluenette shook her head, hair swishing back and forth.

"N-no, it's nothing. I thought I recognized the name from somewhere, but I must have been mistaken." she said, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. The duo shared a look and a shrug at her strange reaction.

"Master! Sis! I won!" Filo came bounding up to them, clad in her frilly pink swimsuit. Sho followed behind her, water dripping from his rippling muscles as he sucked in air greedily.

"Filo _*huff*_ stronger than expected. _*huff*_ How tiny human so strong!?" he asked incredulously.

"I didn't even have to transform, either!"

"Stop rubbing it in, Filo. It's rude." Raphtalia reprimanded, causing the girl to pout slightly. She looked toward the bluenette with a swish of her tail. "Hey Therese, where's L'arc? Is he not coming with you?"

Therese shook her head, shielding her face from the sun with her hand. "He just takes forever to style his hair, so I left him at the inn. I happened to run into this one along the way, so we walked together." she pointed a thumb toward Naofumi, who was busy looking through his menu. Raphtalia had long gotten used to seeing him space out like that, and thought nothing of it.

The two rambled on about one topic or another as the hero tuned them out. Filo went back into the water and Sho decided to explore on his own, leaving the man with the two women who were engrossed in their conversation. Looking through his status screens, Naofumi pondered.

'So in one day we went from level 40 to around level 51? Seems a little wild, but with the way our stats have been shooting up I can't really complain.' he thought, swiping between all of his available shields and skills. 'Need to think about our next steps though. Where do we go after all of this? Do we just head back to Siltvelt, or what?'

He saw his weapon in his inventory, its condition value being a bright red 'POOR'. 'May be a good idea to get some new stuff too. What was the name of that place Werner mentioned? Zel-something? Some City of Merchants, or whatever is sure to have the best possible weapons and armor we could find.' He made a mental note to find a map the next time he was on the mainland.

"What do you think, Master Naofumi?"

The hero blinked, allowing the glow to fade from his eyes and his attention to refocus on his surroundings. "Sorry, what were you saying Raphtalia?" he asked, earning an almost unnoticeable pout from the raccoon.

"I asked if you wanted to team up with L'arc and Therese for grinding tomorrow."

He nodded. "Oh, sure. L'arc and I already said we would team up at least once while we're here. I don't mind." he responded, before seeing that Raphtalia was still wearing the Fire Opal Bangle. "Hey Raph, why are you still wearing that bracelet?"

She looked down at it fondly. "W-well, you went through the trouble to make it, and I thought it looked pretty. So, I kept it on. Why?"

Naofumi quickly searched through his inventory before pulling out his newest creation: a golden bracelet of similar shape but with paisley designs etched onto the surface of the band. It had three small pink tourmaline gemstones on the inside of a celtic-style knot. Therese and Raphtalia both gasped at the accessory.

"M-master Naofumi, what is this!?"

"It's yours, Raphtalia. It's a lot nicer than the first one I gave you, and I wanted you to have it." he said, gently taking her wrist and sliding it over her hand. It fit perfectly, and both women stared at it in wonder with eyes shining.

"B-but you already gave me one! You really didn't need to do all of this! Can we even afford to use all of our materials on luxuries?" the Tanuki asked. Her hesitance was countered by the quick wagging of her tail behind her.

Therese leaned closer to get a better look. "You really outdid yourself on this one, Naofumi! This design is very unique, and the color of the Pink Tourmalines match Raphtalia's eyes perfectly! I knew I picked the right person for the job!"

He blushed slightly, scratching his head. "W-well, I wanted to make sure it looked good on her. Even if it's mostly for boosting her stats, I know I wanted it to be special..." he mumbled.

Raphtalia couldn't help the slight blush that came to her face, and resisted the urge to hug her master right there regardless of Therese's presence. However, one thing took prevalence in her mind. "Job?" she asked, turning to the bluenette who smiled.

"I asked Naofumi to make me a piece of jewelry too! I can literally feel the dedication and emotion he poured into that bracelet thanks to my magic, and those are always the most powerful ones to use! If he can make more like it, I'm sure it'll be one of my favorites!"

"Master! Sis! I found an island!"

The group turned toward Filo, who shook her head to rid her hair of the water droplets. Naofumi deadpanned. "Filo, there are islands literally everywhere."

"No, no! This one was at the bottom of the ocean! It even had a red glow and a big brick building!" the girl exclaimed, using her arms to emphasize the size of the building in question.

"Hmm," he hummed in thought. "I guess it couldn't hurt to check it out. We did get a few of those..." he murmured, reaching into his bag to pull out what appeared to be a giant penguin suit with a Santa hat on top.

"Uh, Master Naofumi? What on earth is that?" Raphtalia asked nervously, a pit developing in her stomach at the thought of what he would say.

"Oh this?" he said, smirking with his back still turned so they couldn't see it. "It's your new outfit from now on! Here ya go!" he said, tossing it to her and doing his absolute best not to laugh as she hesitantly gripped the strange fabric as far away from herself as possible and looked insulted by its very existence.

"I really hope you're joking." she said with concern.

He finally let himself laugh freely, and Therese joined in while Raphtalia pouted. Filo merely looked between them all with confusion. Wiping a small tear from his eye, Naofumi managed to find his voice. "I am joking, but we might need that to reach this 'island' that Filo mentioned. If it's underwater, that should help us breathe underwater with no problems."

The raccoon looked at the Penguin Plush with mixed emotions. 'I know it's useful, but does it have to be so...weird? And ugly?'

The group, minus Therese who chose to stay behind and wait for her red-haired party member, soon found themselves swimming deep into the water beneath one of the outer islands. Filo, in her bird form, could swim for an abnormally long amount of time underwater without needing to breathe.

Naofumi and Raphtalia weren't so lucky. They had to wear the Penguin Plushes in order to breathe underwater, something that the latter was less than thrilled about.

'I even went through the trouble of picking out a cute swimsuit, too...' she grumbled internally. She ran a covered hand (flipper) over the spot where the new Pink Tourmaline Bangle lay on her wrist. 'Still, I can't believe he managed to make something like this. He really is incredible...'

Something struck her as they swam, and she nearly gasped. 'He said he wanted it to look good for me, didn't he? Normally he's completely focused on things being practical, so why would he go out of his way to make it more appealing?' Raphtalia's face lit up with a hot blush. 'I-is this his way of saying he l-likes me back!? What should I do!? Should I do something equally special for him!? Grrr, why can't Therese just help me instead of give me that stupid smirk of hers!?'

"That must be it."

She was dragged out of her thoughts as the object of her thoughts and frustrations spoke. Refocusing on the present time, she saw what looked like a temple on the ocean floor. A massive, stone door blocked the entrance.

'There's gotta be some kind of way inside...' Naofumi thought, pressing his hand against the slab of rock. Suddenly, the gem on his shield brightened and the door swung open with a deep rumble.

"How did you manage to do that, Master Naofumi?" Raphtalia asked, posture showing that she was excited since her face was hidden underneath the suit.

"Something doesn't feel right about all of this. My shield opened the door on its own, which means only one of the four heroes could get into this place. But why...?" he responded, swimming inside with the other two following. After swimming a short distance, they noticed that there was a surface above their heads where the water ended before the roof.

Rising to the top, the group were astounded as they laid eyes upon a Dragon Hourglass, floating and spinning in the room just like the one in Siltvelt.

"A Dragon Hourglass, here?" Raphtalia asked, brows furrowed in concern. "But why? Why would there be one all the down here where nobody can see it?"

Naofumi gulped as he laid a hand (flipper) upon its surface, and his menu and Heads Up Display (HUD) synced with it and a timer for a Wave appeared.

**02:23:15:14.**

**02:23:15:13.**

**02:23:15:12.**

"Only a little less than three days until a Wave hits this place?" He gasped.

"What!? A Wave is coming here, that soon!? Nobody will be prepared!" Raphtalia panicked, clasping her hands together. "What should we do?"

Naofumi turned to his two companions with a serious expression, not that they could see it behind the beady eyes of the Penguin Plush. "Werner and the Council aren't here, so as much as I hate to admit it, we'll have to rely on the queen."

"The queen of Melromarc?"

Naofumi nodded. "She owes me a big favor, and it may be time to cash it in."

Mirellia was beyond shocked when Naofumi requested an audience with her, and was even more surprised when he mentioned that a Wave was only days away. She had immediately ordered a ship to return to the mainland to gather more forces to fight, and called the four heroes into a conference room to strategize.

Naofumi was skeptical about the meeting, but waited patiently for the other three to arrive. It was past lunchtime now, so his companions had chosen to go eat something. Raphtalia had protested, saying he should eat as well. After a bit of convincing however, she reluctantly agreed to just bring him leftovers after the meeting was over.

This left Naofumi sitting in the room silently with the queen, doing his absolute best not to show any signs of nervousness. They were both deep in thought, and he didn't want to be the one to strike up a conversation if he didn't have to. They would have plenty of time for discussion once the other three heroes arrived.

"May I ask you something?" she finally broke the silence, hesitance evident in her voice.

"...Sure." he responded flatly.

The queen's brow furrowed as she looked in his direction. "What do you think the other three heroes are doing wrong? There has to be some explanation for why they aren't as proficient as you."

Naofumi scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "Well for one, they think this entire situation is some kind of game. Or at least, they did. With how badly the last Wave went, they may have changed their perspective a little."

"A...game?"

He nodded. "Back in our worlds there were all sorts of situations like this one. Being summoned to another world as some kind of hero, and working your way to the end until you save the world, that's a very common theme where we're from. It's a sort of...childhood dream, to some people who don't feel like they really belong in their own world."

She was silent, but attentive as he continued. "So, they eventually invented these games where you would play the role of that person. Think of it like a book but you're in control of the main character's actions, and it's interactive, so things change depending on what you choose to do."

Mirellia put a hand to her chin in thought. "And they believe that's what happened to them? That everything that happens here is just some kind of game where their actions have no consequences?"

Naofumi sighed. "Something like that. I can't speak for them anymore, though. They looked like they took a beating and have a few scars to show for it, so all I can do is hope they learned a bit of a lesson from all of this."

They were silent for some time after that, until the signature knocking of the Shadow broke the silence in the room. The door opened to reveal Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu, who looked mildly better than before but still disheveled. The Sword Hero looked the most calm out of the bunch, though he always had that air about him.

"Ah, you all finally made it. Good, please take a seat and we can begin." the queen said, any signs of her earlier nervousness nowhere to be found.

The heroes did as they were told, with Ren sitting to Naofumi's left and Itsuki to his right. Motoyasu sat beside the queen, across from him with a glare etched onto his face. Mirellia cleared her throat.

"Ahem. Now that we're all here, we should discuss the situation. Shield Hero, if you would?"

Naofumi nodded. "We found a Dragon Hourglass underwater earlier today. It was in some kind of temple that could only be opened by someone with a sacred weapon. The timer for the next Wave to hit this place has less than three days remaining."

The heroes' eyes widened in shock. Ren leaned backward in his seat. "I guess it makes sense. This region is famous for the large number of monsters that occasionally appear, so a Wave hitting this place doesn't sound too far fetched."

Itsuki grit his teeth, holding his hand over his eyepatch. "Another one, already?..." he whispered. "We've barely had any time to recover from the last one..."

The queen closed her eyes with a light sigh. "I know firsthand that the last Wave did not bode well for any of us, so the timing of this is most unfortunate. I have already sent a missive back to Melromarc requesting more troops and ships to help in our battle, but we need to have some kind of strategy or we will fail. Does anyone have any suggestions?" she asked, looking at the varying expressions around the table.

Ren brought his opinion forward first. "We're very close to the ocean, so we should be prepared for a battle in the water." he said, looking toward the purple haired queen. "Those ships will prove invaluable to our fight."

Naofumi nodded at him. "Ren's right, but we should also be prepared for an attack on land. If we-" 

"And who said you have any right to be here, huh!?" Motoyasu interrupted, slamming his fist against the table. "You got locked up for raping Myne, broke out and _killed_ a man, then you just vanish when the country needed you! How could you just show up again like nothing is wrong!?"

Naofumi's look darkened. "And who are _you_ to judge me for what I've done? _You're_ the one who was so determined to take away the only person who I trust!"

"You're a filthy slaver and a traitor, Naofumi! Myne was right about you, and you know it!"

"Think with something other than your micropenis for _one_ _damn second_! Did she have any sort of trouble jumping into your arms after that trial? Did she show _any_ signs of having PTSD!? No! She always kept that smug look of hers as she did whatever the hell she wanted! She was a _liar_, and a pathological one, too! Her mother can attest to that!" Naofumi yelled, swiping a hand toward the queen whose emotions visibly fluctuated wildly from the conversation.

As the Spear Hero was about to retort, Ren cut in sharply. "Motoyasu, calm down."

"But he's-"

"I said calm down." the dark haired man said, glaring at the other hero before sighing. "Listen, I know this hasn't been easy for us. Naofumi disappearing for the Wave shouldn't have made that much of a difference, but it did. The princess's death was tragic, but you have to have known that she wasn't a very truthful person."

The blond man growled. "She's dead, Ren! And he's just stomping over her like some kind of monster!"

Itsuki sighed wearily, making him sound far older than he was. "I'll admit that Malty seemed genuine enough at first, but Naofumi has a point. Normally a rape victim would be afraid of any kind of close contact for a while, but she had absolutely no problem flirting with you whenever she could, Motoyasu."

The short boy's eyes hardened, however. "Where did you _go_ anyway, Naofumi? All I knew was that you had been captured and thrown in jail, then you escaped and fled the country."

Motoyasu scoffed. "I bet he ran off to go rape Raphtalia in the woods or something."

Naofumi saw red, and his scar pulsed with unholy power. Clenching his fists underneath the table, he trembled in anger. "We _went_ to Siltvelt, a country of demi-humans who were way more understanding than the king was." he managed to say, keeping his voice low. "We fought the Wave there. If it hadn't been for us, they would have lost way more than just a few dozen soldiers."

Itsuki raised an eyebrow. "You mean there was a Wave there, too? At the same time as ours?"

The queen hummed, expression as neutral as it could be. "That's correct. Because of his efforts, the country of Siltvelt now has a new ally in the Ghorbash clan of orcs. In addition, the city suffered surprisingly little damage and few casualties."

Motoyasu growled and crossed his arms. "Grr, so you're saying we had to fight the hard boss and he got to take it easy? Sounds fucking fair." he rolled his eyes.

"On the contrary, Lord Motoyasu." Mirellia said. "While the Wave you and the other two heroes fought was certainly dangerous, the monsters were indiscriminately attacking anyone and anything they could find. According to my reports, the Wave that struck Siltvelt was highly coordinated and adaptive."

"That doesn't mean anything, though! Just look at him!" the blond said, pointing toward the Shield Hero who continued to glare. "He looks perfectly fine! _He_ didn't lose any of his party members! _He_ didn't come close to dying! _He_ was out there having an easy time while we were doing everything we could to save the country! I mean come on, Ren! You lost an arm! Aren't you angry!?"

The man in question shook his head. "No, I'm not. I lost my arm to save one of Itsuki's party members, and I'd do it again if I had to."

"But they're just NPCs, Ren! You crippled yourself for an extra!?"

"That's enough!" the queen shouted, much unlike her calm persona. "I do not know whether you care for this world or just your ego, but I _will not_ allow you to think of people as expendable! That is not how a hero behaves!" she yelled in an authoritative voice that shocked even Naofumi into silence.

After a few seconds of silence, she resumed her neutral tone of voice. "Regardless of your views on one another, we need to work together or _none_ of us will survive the next few days." The queen looked toward Naofumi. "Since you've been the most successful so far, please tell us anything you think would help, Lord Naofumi."

The Shield Hero sighed. "I really don't know what you guys have been doing, but I've just been training my ass off. I fought monsters, helped a few people along the way, and generally just did whatever I could to get another shield series unlocked. There's really no secret to it."

Ren gave him a knowing look, but chose to stay silent for the time being. Itsuki, however, did not. "So you're saying you're powerful enough to defeat an entire Wave by yourself, and you don't have any kind of suggestions? Sounds like a cheat to me."

Motoyasu jumped at the chance. "He's right! You have to be cheating or something! There's no way you could be that much stronger than the rest of us, especially if you just have a shield! Your weapons aren't even special!"

Naofumi sighed in response. "You guys _do_ know that there's more to being strong than just having the highest stats, right?" His tone was essentially a slap in the face for two of the three other heroes. Ren had already figured this out after his duel with Naofumi before the fight with the dragon. Although it had taken him some time to realize it, he had learned that he was merely swinging his sword around with no sort of skill and hoping for the best.

Strange that the Shield Hero would know more about swordplay than the Sword Hero.

Ever since that day, however, Ren's skills had increased dramatically as well as his effectiveness in combat. This, along with the knowledge that there was more to the sacred weapons than expected, made the man trust Naofumi's word much more.

"He's right, you know." Ren said, drawing eyes toward him. "We fought once, a while back. Just a friendly duel, of sorts. My stats were nearly twice as high as Naofumi's aside from my DEF and HP, but he beat me without even really using anything special from his shield. He was more skilled than I am, and I lost."

"You're joking..." Itsuki said incredulously. "I didn't think the mechanics would be this complicated..."

"Stop looking at this like a game! This is _real_, and everyone in it is real!" Naofumi exclaimed with a roll of his eyes. "If you die, you don't just get to respawn somewhere. You're gone! _Forever!_ Start taking this seriously or we all are going to die!"

Motoyasu stood from his seat. "I'm done hearing this from someone who has no loyalty to the people who brought him here! I'll go out there and get strong enough to beat everyone, even you Naofumi! I'll do it for Myne, because that's what she would have wanted!" As he left, Itsuki stood and moved to leave as well.

"I'll...consider what you said, Naofumi. However, don't think you're off the hook. You have a lot to answer for, and justice will be served eventually." the young man said, adjusting the bow on his back and leaving Naofumi with the queen and the Sword Hero.

Ren sighed. "It seems like they're not too thrilled to be looked down on by you, Naofumi."

"They'd better get used to it then, because unless they get their shit together I'll be looking down at their graves."

Mirellia sighed in defeat. "I suppose their cooperation is the most we can ask for. At least you're reasonable enough to take this seriously, Lord Ren." she said with a soft smile. "How have you been adapting to fighting with only one arm?"

He shook his head. "It's a bit strange, but I think I've gotten the hang of it. I have to use my legs and feet a bit more to make up for it, and my STR is high enough that a kick could do decent damage on its own."

"Well, as long as you're confident that it isn't a hindrance, I wish you luck with your training in the next few days. As always, if you need something please ask." she said before turning to Naofumi. "Now then Lord Naofumi, is there anything else you'd like to speak about?"

Naofumi chuckled darkly. "Well I'll do my best to stay out of everyone's way during the big fight, but if Motoyasu thinks he can talk to me like that again, well..." he trailed off, dragging a finger down his dark scar and allowing it to flare in pain and release a black aura around him. **"Let's just say the 'shield demon' will be a bit more literal next time."** His voice was slightly distorted, giving it a double tone that was beyond menacing.

Sweating slightly from the oppressive aura, Mirellia fanned herself. "I implore you to keep the demon's power restrained when you can, Lord Naofumi. I have already mentioned to Lord Ren that the dragon's power can corrupt just as easily."

Ren nodded. "Tiamat has made it very clear that I should not rely on her power unless absolutely necessary. According to her, the white flames burn hotter than any other kind and have holy properties."

"Though the term 'holy' doesn't necessarily mean 'good', just as darkness isn't inherently evil." Mirellia clarified. Naofumi allowed the dark aura to subside, and he crossed his arms.

"Did Tiamat tell you anything else about the Waves? I've figured out that these aren't just monsters being created, they're being sucked into the sky from somewhere else. Somewhere far different from here." the Shield Hero said. Ren hummed in thought with his one hand to his chin.

"Tiamat never mentioned anything about that, but she did say why the sacred weapons can't be around each other too much. She said that it had something to do with the sealing ritual that the primordials, some kind of ancient species apparently, used to put them inside. If it weren't for one specific part of the seal, we would be able to travel together with no issues."

Naofumi clicked his tongue. "Of course it has something to do with that, but the question is how we go about breaking that part? And if we can, _should _we?" The group fell silent for several moments before the Shield Hero continued. "By the way, did you know you can cast magic without spells or incantations? Free manipulation of the elements?"

The queen cocked her head to the side. "I've personally seen experienced wizards casting spells without incantations, but they could only do that with spells they had memorized and perfected. You're telling me you can freely manipulate an element without either of those?"

"Yeah, just watch." he said, lifting his hand and allowing the wind to gather around it. "One of my elements is wind, so I could take this wind and throw it like a blast-" he proceeded to thrust his hand outward, and the ball of wind exploded in that direction with moderate force. "Or, I could use it to make my sword slice better by surrounding the blade with razor-sharp wind."

He demonstrated by unsheathing his blade and allowing the wind to surround it until the blade glowed a bright white. The wind from the magic buffeted the room, causing the tablecloth to whip and thrash wildly. When he let the magic fade, both people present were shocked.

He shrugged. "I could eventually learn to do that with lightning, but I haven't really gotten the chance to practice manipulating it yet. I'll get to it eventually."

Ren hummed in interest before unsheathing his own sword. "How do you do it?" he asked earnestly.

Naofumi explained the process of 'feeling' the element and Ren picked up on it fairly easily. However, since Ren's primary element was fire, he had to have a flame nearby to manipulate. Luckily, the candles on the table worked perfectly for control.

It wasn't long before the two put their weapons away with soft smiles on their faces. Mirellia was pleased that at least two heroes got along well enough to work together, and she clapped her hands together. "Well, this has been quite informative for all of us. I will continue to prepare our forces for the upcoming Wave, and you should all train as hard as you can as well. We will need your strength for this fight."

Naofumi and Ren split up after that, with Ren claiming that he needed to find at least one or two adventurers willing to be in his party for the time being. The Sword Hero departed, wishing Naofumi and his group luck with their training. Naofumi did the same, leaving the building and finding his companions waiting for him outside.

Raphtalia was quick to rush toward him. "Master Naofumi! Are you okay!? I got a bad feeling there for a moment, and was worried something had happened! Then the Spear and Bow heroes came storming outside!" she cried, brow furrowed with concern. The man patted her gently on the shoulder with a smile.

"Don't worry, Raphtalia. It was just Motoyasu being an ass again." he said, scar flickering for a moment before settling again. "We should get going, though. We need to make certain that we're in good shape for the Wave. Sho, did you find any good spots while you were out?" he asked, turning to the orc who nodded.

"Many monsters on east island. Big monsters, look strong."

Naofumi nodded at him. "Perfect. Let's get our equipment repaired and some supplies, then we'll head east."

Filo ran up to him before handing him a small box. "You need to eat, Master! You took so long that I almost ate it myself!" Opening the box, Naofumi found a small assortment of seafood and sauces, along with a wooden fork. Smiling, he knelt down and patted the girl's head.

His stomach growled and he chuckled. "Well I'm glad you didn't, otherwise I'd starve to death. Wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"Nope!"

It didn't take anywhere near as long as Naofumi expected for their weapons to be repaired, only an hour at most. This left them in the late afternoon with the rest of the evening to grind some monsters. Heading east, they passed by Motoyasu and Itsuki in separate areas, fighting off wave after wave of weak monsters by their lonesome. He noted that they both looked bored.

Finally, they crossed a small channel to a smaller island infested with wolves. After slicing, stabbing, and kicking their way through the massive horde of canines, the sun had begun to set. As it got darker, the wolves became noticeably more aggressive and powerful. Where they were originally attacking in small groups one at a time, now they had started coordinating and ambushing the party when they were preoccupied.

Then, a loud howl pierced through the air.

Slicing through a wolf mid-leap, Naofumi turned his head slightly to his party. "Did anyone catch what direction that came from!?" he shouted, before seeing a small gang of wolves creeping up on Sho. Throwing his hand in that direction, he yelled. **"Air strike shield!"**

As the orc grabbed another arrow from his quiver, the green shield appeared directly behind him. Two wolves had leapt toward him and ran directly into it, while another duo circled around to flank him. With a roar he grabbed a second arrow from his quiver and stabbed the tips into their heads, killing them both instantly. Without missing a beat, Sho nocked both arrows onto his bow as the phantasmal shield vanished. He released, shooting both arrows at once into his two remaining targets simultaneously.

Filo, now transformed, kicked three wolves away in quick succession. "I think it came from over there, Master!" she yelled back, pointing a wing off to the side.

"Got it, let's head that way!" the Hero said, slowly making his way toward their destination. Raphtalia cleaved her way through two wolves with a single swing, blood spraying over her outfit.

"Master Naofumi, do you think we can keep this up? They're starting to outnumber us a little more than I'd like!" she said, rushing to follow the rest of their group.

"It'll be fine! We just need to take out the leader and the rest should scatter! Or at least they'll be less coordinated!"

The ground rumbled as the howl came a second time, and the pack of wolves retreated for the moment. The party took the moment to catch their breath before the fight intensified. Taking a strip of raw meat out of his pack, Sho tore it in half with his hands before eating one half whole. He tossed the other half to Filo, who caught it in her beak and swallowed it in one gulp.

Naofumi and Raphtalia plopped down on a nearby stone, drinking from their flasks like their lives depended on it. Chests heaving, the two leaned backward against one another.

"They're definitely _*huff*_ starting to get stronger. L'arc and Therese were right; nightfall is _*huff*_ much more dangerous." the raccoon said, closing her eyes which had been forcibly kept open in case of danger for hours.

Naofumi nodded. "After this, we can head on back. At this point, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I need a drink."

Raphtalia elbowed him in the back, causing him to wince. "L'arc had better not be turning you into an alcoholic, Master Naofumi."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Raph. Alcohol barely affects me anyway, you know that firsthand."

She sighed, leaning her head backward until it lay upon his shoulder. "It's more that I hope you don't get approached by the wrong types of people."

"With my luck? I would actually benefit from those people somehow."

"The worst part is that you're right." Raphtalia rolled her eyes.

The group took a few more seconds to relax and heal any small wounds they had before gathering together. The woods they were in quickly ended, revealing what would be a beautiful meadow if the sun were up. In the very center stood four massive wolves, easily the size of trolls. Their coloring was different, a blue-ish shade of fur rather than the usual gray or black.

"Looks like they're our big guys. Are you all ready?" Naofumi checked, and they all nodded at him. "Good, let's go!"

They immediately rushed into battle using one of the combos that they had invented. Raphtalia used her **First Hiding** to go invisible as Naofumi blasted wind at their opponents' feet to blind them with dirt and dust. Filo leapt into the air and Sho prepped several arrows for quick shots.

The wolves growled, shaking their heads before bounding toward the warriors with large strides. One of them leapt into the air to intercept Filo, whose sharpened talons forced the two to play a dangerous game of chicken to see who was struck first. Raphtalia, who had been invisible, reappeared in the path of a second wolf, cleaving through its front left paw and severing it from the main body. The creature snarled in pain, leaping away and allowing the third wolf to bite at her with its fangs.

An arrow struck the injured wolf in the side, and a moment later another one embedded itself deep into the hind leg of the third wolf. Its jaws went wide, allowing Raphtalia a moment to leap over its head and onto its back. The monster thrashed and bucked in an attempt to throw her off, but she held onto its thick fur while trying to get a better grip on her sword.

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi shouted, charging forward to intercept the fourth and final wolf that had held back. Seeing an opening, he summoned the wind around his sword and slashed at the beast. The ensuing shockwave cut into its skin and blood gushed from the wound, but without using an incantation it was nowhere near strong enough to do more than that. The wolf bounded toward him but a massive bird collided with it, sending the two tumbling to the ground.

"Master, I can take this one! I got the other one's legs!" she yelled, clawing at the wolf's throat as it kicked and scratched at her with its claws. Nodding, Naofumi rushed to the aid of his Tanuki companion as she held on for dear life.

'Now's the time to use it!' Switching to his **Stone Titan Shield**, he put his sword away as he ran toward the thrashing animal. **"Titanic Strength!"** he cried, allowing the shield to shatter and cover his arms in stone as he glowed a dark red..

He got close enough to grip the creature's leg, and he yelled. "Raphtalia, get off now!" With all of his strength, he heaved the massive wolf over his head and slammed it into the ground with an earth-shaking crunch that made Raphtalia wince. It howled in pain without moving, obviously suffering from serious internal bleeding and broken bones. She almost felt bad for the creature, and quickly ended its misery with a blade through the skull.

'Note to self: never to let Master Naofumi get his hands on the king...' she sweatdropped despite being in the middle of a battle.

The sound of a distant roar pierced the air, and the two looked to see their orc companion holding the first wolf's jaws back with his bare hands. Its legs were a mess of wounds and blood, but it put up a fair fight that Sho was thoroughly enjoying based on his fierce grin.

With strength that Naofumi and Raphtalia were both surprised at, the orc clamped the beast's jaws shut before twisting. This knocked the wolf off-balance and onto the ground, an easy target for Sho's knives that he unsheathed from his belt. With simultaneous stabs he sank the blades into the beast's neck, killing it instantly.

Moments later, Filo approached while nibbling on the severed leg of one of the wolves. Raphtalia gagged, and Naofumi nearly did the same. "Filo, spit that out. C'mon, it's nasty." he pleaded, looking away to avoid turning green in the face.

Instead, the bird clamped down on the limb, snapping the bones inside before the meat was quickly slurped into her stomach. The sound actually made Raphtalia throw up, and Naofumi gently rubbed her back to soothe her sickness.

He wanted to throw up too, dammit! It was his turn to be comforted after something so horrifying!

"Sorry! I couldn't pass up the chance, you guys! Wolf meat is always so yummy, even if the fur is a little thick." the filolial said, tone completely void of any remorse. After the Tanuki was done dry heaving, Naofumi handed her a flask of water which she took and drank from.

"Filo."

"Yes, Master?"

"Please just..._never_ do that again while we're anywhere near you. Please?"

"Oh. Okay! I'll try to wait next time!"

He nearly gagged again. 'I hope there never _is_ a next time for that...'

The group gathered together to gather whatever drops and items they could from the creatures. The smaller wolves were noticeably absent, meaning that these must have been the pack leaders. Naofumi dropped a thick tuft of fur from one of the wolves into his shield, unlocking the **Great Wolf Shield**.

**Great Wolf Shield: +175 DEF, Passive Bonus: +25 DEF, Minor Bleeding resistance, Pack Leader - Your commanding presence inspires others to fight harder, increasing all of their stats by 10% whenever you are nearby.**

Humming with a smile, Naofumi checked his menu to see that his party members did in fact have an instantaneous increase to their stats. Not to mention the fact that they had all gained another level from that fight alone, leaving all of them near level 60.

'Now that I think about it, I never asked Ren what level he was...' he thought. 'Oh well, I'm sure it can't be too far different than ours. He was higher level than us during the dragon fight, after all.'

After taking a few more minutes to rest, Naofumi stood from his makeshift couch made of dead wolves. "Alright you guys, good work today. Let's head back to the inn for some food and some rest, what do you think?"

Filo and Raphtalia sighed in relief while Sho merely grunted in agreement. "You know what sounds good? A nice, warm bath to get all of this blood off of me." Raphtalia said, picking at her clothes which had begun to stick to her body. She grimaced at the stench.

"No more wolves. Good time for rest. Night falling." Sho said, eyes still searching for danger in the darkness.

"Alright then, we're all agreed on it. Let's go." Naofumi announced, before something softly flashing in the corner of his menu grabbed his attention. It was a small icon with the shape of a sword and a plus sign. As he focused on it, a massive blade nearly as tall as himself appeared above his hands. It floated for a moment before falling into his hands, causing him to fall forward from its weight.

"Master, where'd you get that?" Filo asked, looking closely at the blade. It was made of a dark blue metal and had swirling embossings along the flat end. The guard was shaped into the head of a wolf, with small red gems in the eye sockets that glowed slightly in the dark.

"We must have gotten it as a drop from those wolves as some kind of rare drop." he said, shifting his weight around and noticing just how heavy the blade was. 'Damn, even with my STR stat being fairly high this thing weighs a ton!'

Knowing that he actually had the lowest STR stat out of everyone in his party, he turned toward Raphtalia. "Hey Raph, try holding this for a minute." he offered the blade to her, which she took with raised eyebrows and a bit of hesitation.

The Tanuki woman stood at an average height of 170cm (or about 5 1/2 feet), and the sword was slightly taller than even that. It was almost comical to see her wield the blade so easily, given her insanely high STR stat at her size. Naofumi smiled at her, but withheld his laughter.

"Go on, give it a few swings." he said, motioning for her to do so.

"If you say so..." she said, before bringing the weapon to her side and swinging it horizontally. The force of the swing kicked up dirt and small rocks from the ground. A few more swings made the weight of the blade easily known, but Raphtalia's discomfort was obvious from her facial expression.

She shook her head, stabbing the blade into the ground beside her. "I can swing it with no problems, but I feel like I wouldn't be able to move around much with it. Plus it's so big that I'm not used to the movements."

Sho gave it a try next, but found that he hated being weighed down by such a large weapon. Filo, obviously had no interest in using it herself, which left Naofumi as the only one capable of really using it to any effect. Though it was cumbersome for him as well.

"Alright, well I guess we'll hold onto it for now. It could be useful later." he shrugged, touching the aptly named **Dark Wolf Greatblade** and allowing it to vanish into his inventory. "Now let's get out of here. I need a nap."

They walked, though it was more like trudged, their way back to the inn. It was nearing midnight, and Naofumi was beyond exhausted. A full day of stress would do that to you.

Laying down on his bed, the man groaned with his hand on his forehead. 'So two more days until the Wave. We're all close to level 60, we've gotten a decent bit stronger, and a rare drop or two. I'm as tired as I am sore and I _still can't fucking figure out how to tell Raphtalia that I like her!' _he thought agitatedly.

He sighed. 'I mean come on, how hard is it supposed to be? I want it to be special and all that, but I can't just come out and say it out of nowhere! And what could I do for her that would make her feel special? Aside from having her as my companion, I don't really know what she does and doesn't like all that much.'

Naofumi buried his head into the pillow in an attempt to find some clairvoyance in his sleep, but found that he was even more restless than the night before. However, he knew he needed to stay rested or he wouldn't be able to function properly. So, he opted for simply exercising until his body passed out on its own. Pushups, situps, and curling his new and remarkably heavy sword did the job, and within a half hour, he was out like a light.

His raccoon partner was also unable to sleep, but she was busy soaking in a hot spring with the gemstone wielder. Therese and L'arc had returned to the inn not long before they had, and when Raphtalia said she needed a good soak, the bluenette eagerly joined her.

Raphtalia nearly moaned as the warm water washed away the dit, grime, blood, and exhaustion that had covered her like a blanket. "This is heaven..."

"Yeah..." Therese said in a similar tone, leaning back against the outer walls of the bath. "How did everything go for you guys today? L'arc and I ended up finding some huge bird on the northwest side of the main island. Other than that, it was just boring."

Raphtalia hummed. "Yeah, that's pretty much how it went for us too. A lot of wolves, and a few really big wolves, and-" she nearly gagged at remembering the sound of Filo's appetite getting the better of her, "Uhh, that was pretty much it for us."

Therese raised an eyebrow but mentioned nothing more on that subject. The bluenette elbowed the other woman. "Sooooo, what did you think of Naofumi huh?" she asked with a teasing tone that set the raccoon's face aflame.

"Wh-why do you ask!?" she panicked, scooting away from her attacker.

"He looked pretty good in that swimsuit, don't you think? And he gave you another bracelet!"

Raphtalia looked away, cheeks burning. "I-I mean, Master Naofumi-"

"You really need to stop calling him that, you know."

"Huh?"

The gemstone wielder shook her head, scattering small droplets of water around. "You have to stop calling him your master. I know you're technically a slave, but he doesn't seem like the type to take advantage of that."

The Tanuki sighed weakly. "Well he did say he prefers to just be called Naofumi, but it still feels a little...wrong to do that in public." She took a deep breath. "It's just that...I have absolutely no idea how to show him that I l-love him..." She couldn't help but look down in embarrassment at admitting it out loud.

Therese gave a sympathetic look before patting the woman on the shoulder. "Hey girl, you don't need to know how it all works! From what you told me about demi-humans, they age a bit differently than we do. You may be an adult in body, but you haven't had all the experiences to know how this is supposed to go. And your parents..?" she trailed off, growing quieter.

Raphtalia blinked away a quick tear. "They're not around anymore, sadly."

"I'm sorry for your loss..." Therese said, and the raccoon nodded in thanks. "You never really got to grow up, if what you told me a few days ago was true. You basically got forced into being a teenager then an adult within a month. You never got to interact with other people your age."

Raphtalia nodded again. "Yeah...sometimes I wish I could go back and relive my life without the Waves, but then I remember Mas-Naofumi and I can't help but be happy about where I am today. If it weren't for the Waves, I wouldn't have met him, Filo, or even you and L'arc. Even if they took away almost everything from me, the Waves have brought me the most important people in my life today, and I'm not sure I could give that up."

Therese smiled softly before swimming over and wrapping the chestnut-haired woman in a hug. "Then don't. Take control of your destiny, Raphtalia."

"But still, how am I supposed to make sure Naofumi knows that I love him? I can be a bit f-fl-flirty if I want to be, but I always hesitate to take anything further because I-I don't want..." The blush returned, and the Tanuki turned her head away from her friend.

"You don't want him to reject you, right?"

Raphtalia nodded, and Therese sighed. "Listen. Naofumi is well aware that you like him, maybe even love him, but he's completely clueless about what to do. He's confused."

"Confused? About what?"

Therese released Raphtalia before bonking her on the head. "You're still only ten years old. To us humans, that's far too young to even consider dating or anything of the sort. Even if you're physically an adult, he's struggling to come to terms with that. To us, having a relationship with someone that young is actually a crime."

Raphtalia slumped forward and sighed wearily. "So he thinks I'm still a child?..."

"I wouldn't go that far." the bluenette halted that train of thought quickly. "We talked a bit on our way to the beach, and he said that he met you when you were just a kid. He had to play the role of a guardian or a father, and seeing you like this now he's not really sure whether he loves you as a daughter or as a woman. I tried to push him in the right direction, but this is something he has to figure out on his own."

"So you're saying there's not really anything I can do..." The Tanuki wiped away a tear before she was enveloped in another hug.

"No no, that's not what I meant at all." Therese's face broke out into a sultry grin. "I meant that you need to..._convince_ him that you're a woman."

Raphtalia practically burst into flames, pushing the other woman off of her and burying her face in her hands. "Wh-what are you saying!? I'm not some...some harlot!"

"I'm not saying you have to be. I'm saying you need to be a little more comfortable with kissing him and stuff."

"But I'll get pregnant!"

"..." Therese raised a concerned eyebrow. "Come again? You said you'll get pregnant if you _kiss_ him?"

"Yes! That's how it works, right!?" Raphtalia practically begged with pleading eyes.

The bluenette sighed, standing up and leaving the bath to wash herself more thoroughly. "Raphtalia, unless demi-humans work _wildly_ differently than humans, that's not how you get pregnant."

"It's not!? Then how does it work!?" Raphtalia quickly followed her to do the same, sitting on the stool and using a bucket of water to wash her hair and back.

Therese blushed slightly herself, a first ever since Raphtalia had met her. "Well, uhh..._*ahem*_, you get pregnant by-umm." The bluenette actually had to stop what she was doing and take a deep breath to continue. "You know how you have, umm...lady parts, right?"

Raphtalia blushed horribly, but nodded for the woman to continue. "Well, guys have guy parts. And basically they have to, uhh, _stick _their guy parts inside of your girl parts."

"WHAT!? Wouldn't that hurt!?"

Therese's blush could rival a tomato. "I-I don't know! I've never done it before either! All I know is that's how you get pregnant, not by kissing!"

Both girls buried their faces into their hands, embarrassed beyond belief. Eventually, Raphtalia gathered the courage to ask. "So...it's okay if I kiss Naofumi?"

"From a pregnancy standpoint, yeah. I'd be careful though. If you startle him too much by doing it out of nowhere, he might freak out." Therese said, finishing up her business and wrapping a towel around herself. "Just make sure the time is right, I guess. I'm not super experienced with this stuff myself, but at least I didn't think people got pregnant by kissing of all things."

"Hey! I never had anyone to tell me otherwise! Don't judge me!" Raphtalia cried, unpinning her hair and allowing it to fall down her back before draping a towel across her chest. "Besides, if you're not experienced, why are you the one giving _me_ advice!?"

"Because someone has to get you both to realize that you're madly in love with each other! The gem in the bracelet he gave you was filled with so much love that I almost was jealous! It was practically screaming for your attention!"

That made the raccoon halt in her step, turning to face Therese with a hopeful expression. "Really?" She had taken the bracelet off to get into the bath, but she idly rubbed the spot on her wrist where it usually lay.

"Yes! I only hope the piece he makes me is filled with anywhere near the level of emotion as that one!" Therese walked past her to gather her clothes. Raphtalia followed and began dressing herself as well.

"Speaking of which, why _did_ you want Naofumi to make you a piece of jewelry?" she asked, tail flicking behind her in interest.

The bluenette shrugged. "After seeing how well he did the first time, I just_ had_ to see how well he could do. Back where I'm from, most jewelcrafters are stingy and rude and only focused on money, so the gems don't have much emotion. His held so much that I needed one to bring back with me after-" she cut herself off with widened eyes, before finishing her sentence. "-after we have to go back."

"Where are you from anyway? You're not from around here, that's obvious, but where do you and L'arc come from?" Raphtalia finished putting her clothes on and waited for Therese to do the same. They were the only ones in the hot spring this late at night, so there was nobody to hear their conversation.

Therese, however, remained silent with a conflicted look. "Raphtalia, can I tell you something? You _can't_ say anything to Naofumi though."

"Why? What's with the serious look all of a sudden? I'm sorry if I offended you or brought up bad memories or something!"

"No no, you're fine, it's just..." the gemstone wielder sighed, hands playing with her blue hair. "With the Wave coming, I didn't want you to think we hated you guys..."

Raphtalia furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about? I doubt I could ever think you and L'arc hated us. You're actually one of my best friends."

"Thanks, but this is a little more serious than that. Where I'm from...is the same place where the Ghorbash clan of orcs is from."

Raphtalia's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. "That's great! But...why are you so upset then? And how did you get here?"

Therese took a deep breath, clasping her hands together to stop them from fidgeting. She looked so nervous and guilty that Raphtalia wanted to hug her. "Raphtalia, the Waves pulled the orcs from our world into this one. The Waves are our two worlds colliding and pulling at each other's mana. In the end, only one will survive."

Tail stiffened and eyes wide in shock, Raphtalia slammed her hands on the bluenette's shoulders. "So you're telling me you're from another world entirely!? And one will destroy the other!?"

Therese nodded, averting her sad eyes to avoid looking the raccoon in the face. "L'arc is actually a prince back in his home kingdom. He's a Vassal Weapon wielder, the Scythe Hero. We were sent here to-" she trembled in the girl's grasp. "We were told we had to-t-to k-kill the h-heroes of this w-world..." Tears began leaking from her eyes, and all Raphtalia could do was stare at her in shock.

"I underst-stand if y-you don't like me any-_*hic*_ -anymore, but I wanted you to know the truth..."

Raphtalia wrapped Therese in a tight embrace, shocking the woman. "Therese, hey, we'll figure out a way for both of our worlds to survive, I promise." She gently rubbed soothing circles on the bluenette's back as she sobbed. "You've been such a big help these past few days, and I wasn't lying when I said you were my best friend. I'm willing to listen to you explain this all to me so we can figure it out together."

Therese nodded, burying her head against Raphtalia's shoulder and soaking the woman's clothes with tears. "I-I don't deserve this kindness..."

The Tanuki shook her head with a soft smile. "Of course you do. You basically told me that you're here to kill someone I love. You didn't have to, but you did."

"I know, but I don't want to! I wish we didn't have to do something like this, but I don't want my friends and family back home to die either!" Therese tightly gripped the front of Raphtalia's dress. "What should I do!? If I go back and tell the king that we didn't kill the heroes of this world, he'll panic! Everyone is already so scared!"

"Shh..." Raphtalia soothed the crying woman. "It'll be alright. Naofumi has a knack for doing the impossible, so if we tell him together I'm sure he'll understand."

"But-!"

"If _we_ tell him _together_, he won't think I'm being paranoid. I know him, and he trusts you as far as I can tell. On the other hand, if you stay silent..." the raccoon's head lowered and her eyes became sad. "I'm not really sure what he'll do. He'll feel betrayed, that's for sure. He had a horrible experience with that before, so he could react very badly...and violently."

Therese gulped, not sure just how much power the Shield Hero truly wielded and unwilling to test her luck against it. "O-okay...But I need to tell L'arc about this too, alright? We don't know if there's a way to stop the Waves from happening aside from forcing the other world to fail, so we'll need all the help we can get."

The two women smiled a bit before ending their embrace. "That sounds like a plan." Raphtalia said with a yawn and a stretch. "Let's worry about that tomorrow, though. I'm feeling a bit snuggly and Naofumi is always warm."

Therese couldn't help the giggle that came. "I see you're already a little more confident."

Raphtalia smirked. "I had a good friend to give me a little push."

Naofumi would wake up in the middle of the night smothered by brown hair and an overwhelming sense of belonging. Craning his neck downward, he saw Raphtalia in her nightgown clinging to him while snoring lightly.

Instead of panic, however, he merely rolled over and held her loosely in his arms with a smile. His last thoughts before drifting back to sleep were enhanced by the fuzzy feeling in his chest.

'I could definitely get used to this...'


	13. Chapter 14

"**How's it goin' dude?"**

**Some of you may not get the reference.**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech

**As always, feel free to review!**

"So you're saying you're here to kill me." Naofumi said with crossed arms and raised eyebrows. L'arc nodded, expression much more serious than usual.

"That's right. As far as we're aware, the only way to keep our world alive is for the other worlds to die. We came through one of the Wave rifts to kill the Four Cardinal Heroes, or at least enough of them to make this world fall. When we showed up and heard that the Shield Hero was a demon who raped and enslaved people, I thought my job would be easy." The redhead ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I didn't expect you to actually be a decent person and for all of that to be a lie. You really got handed the short end of the stick, huh?"

Naofumi rolled his eyes. "You have absolutely no idea. So, what do we do from here? You're not still planning to kill me, are you?" Raphtalia and Filo flinched as the mens' gazes sharpened momentarily, but they softened just as quickly.

"No, at least not now. Above everything else, my kingdom and my world take priority. If we can find a way to keep both of our worlds alive without tearing each other apart, I'll take it. But if we fail to find a reasonable way to do it..." he trailed off as the mood darkened. "I'll be left with no other choice."

L'arc's carefree attitude returned as he smiled. "Besides, I think a one on one fight between us would be a hell of a lot of fun, don't you think kiddo?" Raphtalia and Therese both let out a sigh of relief.

Naofumi chuckled. "Maybe, but we'll have to wait and see. Once we save both of our worlds and have some peace and quiet, then we can think about duking it out."

"Ha! I'll hold you to that!" the redhead said with a quick bark of laughter. "I can't help but get excited when I fight against someone skilled, you know? There's so much more strategy to it than beating a monster and it gets my blood all fired up!"

The Shield Hero shrugged. "I've only had a few fights like that, so you know better than I do." He turned toward the rest of the group. "What do you guys think we should do? We obviously have to stop the Wave from destroying this place, but what next? How could we stop the Waves themselves?"

Raphtalia put a hand on her chin in thought. "If I remember right, the Four Cardinal Heroes are summoned from another world to help stop the Waves of Calamity. The stories never really tell us _how_ they were supposed to do that, though. They just sort of fought them off, and they obviously never succeeded or we wouldn't be having this problem right now."

"So we're trying to do the impossible..." Therese said softly with sad eyes. "I really don't want to fight all of you, but to think we alone could stop the Waves when nobody could do it before? It seems a little hard to believe." Filo pumped a fist into the air with a bright smile.

"We can always ask the queen or Bird Guy for help!" she exclaimed. Her bright mood was a beacon of light in the room of doubtful expressions. Therese tilted her head to the side.

"Bird guy?" she asked, looking to Raphtalia for clarification. The raccoon chuckled awkwardly.

"He's one of the demi-human councilmen of Siltvelt, and he's a Shusaku. They're basically people with wings that can fly."

Therese and L'arc both 'ooooh'ed in response and intrigue. They didn't have demi-humans like that in their world, so such things were completely new to them. Raphtalia sighed. "Though I'm not sure how much help they'll be in this instance, they're probably our best bet for figuring out whether this is even possible."

L'arc leaned backward with his arm across the back of his chair, a carefree smile on his face. "I don't like the idea of bringing this world's leaders into this. If they figure out that our alternative is to kill you and the other heroes, they might freak out!" he said with a boisterous laugh that made the others sweatdrop.

"You're way too calm about saying that..." Naofumi deadpanned, crossing his arms. "...but I think Raphtalia is right. On our own we may never figure out how to save both of our worlds, but the queen or the council may know something that could point us in the right direction."

Therese turned to her companion. "Well? What do you think is best, L'arc?"

The redhead hummed in thought, tipping his chair backward and letting it sit on its back legs with his feet on the table. "Hmm. I still don't think telling them is a good idea. Besides, if our court mages couldn't find another way, how would these people have anything that could help?"

"My mother knows a lot more than you think!" came the voice of a dark-blue haired girl who stood at the entrance to the room. Naofumi scowled.

"Don't they teach you princesses any manners? Get lost, and forget everything you heard." he said, Raphtalia moving to stand in his path if he got aggressive.

Melty maintained her composure, shutting the door behind her and entering. "If you must know, both my sister and I were taught to behave in a cordial fashion no matter the circumstances."

The Shield Hero scoffed and glared down at her from his standing position. "Tch. Your sister probably failed that class miserably but got passed by your waste bucket of a father for being 'daddy's little princess'." he used a high-pitched tone and air quotes to emphasize the title mockingly. "And you're over here snooping around like a rogue. So much for behaving in a cordial fashion."

The princess's composure faltered and her face burned with indignity. "I-I'll have you know that I was given high marks by my instructors in all of my classes! This is an exception!"

"Oh but it's okay if you make an exception for yourself, gotcha." Naofumi rolled his eyes angrily and grumbled. "Nobles..."

Filo ran up to the girl with a smile. "So you're a princess? Your hair is so pretty!" she exclaimed, completely derailing the conversation.

Whether that was intentional or not was only known by Filo herself.

Melty stuttered a reply at the sudden change in atmosphere. "U-um, thank you..." she said in confusion. "And yes, I met your group earlier this week. I'm Melty Q Melromarc, second princess and heir to the throne." She did a curtsy as she finished her introduction, and Filo's face beamed with a smile.

"I'm Filo!"

The older adults were stunned into silence by the odd introduction, Therese and L'arc going so far as to shrug at one another. The princess glanced at the blonde girl's back in interest. "Filo, how do you have wings?" she asked. "Aren't you human?"

"Nope!" A puff of smoke and she became a full-sized filolial. Melty's eyes shined and her look of amazement made Naofumi raise an eyebrow. "You're a filolial!? But how!? And you're so big and fluffy too!" the girl couldn't contain her excitement. Filo cocked her head to the side.

"Hmm..." she thought with one wing to her beak. "I dunno!" The simple reply didn't deter the bluenette in the slightest.

"D-do you mind if I touch your feathers?" Melty asked hesitantly, her desire not masked at all.

"Sure!"

As the two girls interacted, the adults were busy resuming their own conversation. Therese stood from her seat. "So barring the...interruption," she said after searching for the right term, "do you all agree that we should ask the queen of this country to aid us?"

Naofumi and Raphtalia nodded at each other, and the raccoon's tail swished back and forth. "I don't see why we shouldn't try. What do you think, Master Naofumi?" she asked her master with a smile. He groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

"As much as I hate relying on her, you're right. Without any kind of clue we're basically flying blind. It's almost creepy how much she knows, so she may have something." he said, looking away. Raphtalia smiled at him proudly from beside him.

L'arc hummed in thought before standing up with a relaxed smile. "Well that settles it then. We'll talk to queenie, hopefully figure something out, and I won't have to kill you guys! Sounds like a good plan to me!" he exclaimed with a laugh, as the others sweatdropped. Naofumi on the other hand, scoffed.

"As if you could take me down so easily."

"Wanna bet, kiddo?"

The two women sighed in exasperation as the men squared off with words. Filo and Melty had completely ignored the remainder of the conversation in favor of getting to know each other a bit better.

Sho had been silent the entire time while standing in the corner of the room, observing. His eyes narrowed whenever they landed on the redheaded prince, but he held his tongue. The Chief needed to know about this new development, but for now he would merely watch and learn as much as he could.

This was the son of the man who nearly wiped out the Ghorbash clan, and his family was a threat to every orc in existence. Were it not for his alliance with Naofumi and the demi-humans of Siltvelt, Sho would have ambushed the scythe wielder as soon as the man's guard was down.

He couldn't afford to be careless, though.

'Breathe. Wait, watch, learn. No threat for now, but this alliance...held together with sticks and words. Observe for weaknesses, just in case.'

The group, minus Melty and Filo, met with the queen shortly after. The filolial girl had dragged the princess away from the rest of them, claiming that they were going out to have fun. Naofumi was against leaving Filo alone with someone he didn't trust, but Raphtalia overruled his decision by putting on a too-sweet smile and blatantly ignoring his grumblings as she told the girls to have a good time. Eventually, the man gave up and let them do what they wanted.

Therese barely stifled her giggles at the scene that was not at all unlike a married couple.

Mirellia either had an unusually free schedule or was extremely willing to rearrange her plans on such short notice. Either way, Naofumi couldn't help but be suspicious of the woman who immediately accepted his request and had a room already picked out for their meeting.

Being led once more by the queen's Shadow, Naofumi and co. sat down around a table with the purple haired monarch. Therese was enthralled by the woman's jewelry adorning her clothing, while L'arc was as relaxed as ever. Raphtalia, who had never met the queen in person, was appalled both by the woman's beauty and her mature attitude.

Sho preferred to stand and observe, taking a more neutral stance with crossed arms. He could feel the Shadow not far from him watching his every move, but he trusted his reflexes in the unlikely event he would need to avoid a sneak attack. Knowing more about these humans could greatly benefit the clan, and he needed to know more about his potential ally (or enemy) before making his move.

After a brief explanation of the situation, with Naofumi specifically leaving out the part about L'arc and Therese coming to kill the Cardinal Heroes, the queen was shockingly calm. "So you're saying you're not sure how to save both of our worlds from complete destruction?" she asked, hands clasped together on the table.

The prince waved his hand dismissively. "Pretty much. We found a way to go back and forth using the Waves and that's how we ended up here. From what our historians have translated from ancient texts back home, the way to save the world is to continue defeating the Waves until all of the other worlds fail."

"So it's basically a massive free-for-all with the last one standing being the winner." Naofumi said softly. "As far as we know, you're the only ones who have come to this world so far. But that might not always be the case."

Raphtalia nodded at him. "If you found a way to move between worlds, then others could do the same. We need to be careful or someone may show up from another world and cause trouble."

The queen nodded. "You're absolutely right. If we can negotiate some kind of alliance between worlds or even kingdoms, it could benefit us both greatly."

Therese looked down at her fidgeting hands with a sad expression. "But what if there isn't another way to save our worlds? We don't really want any of them to end, but we want ours to survive as well."

Naofumi smiled at her from across the table. "I don't think anyone _wants_ to die, so we're going to put a stop to the Waves, permanently. We just need some kind of clue to go off of, but we have no idea where to start. We were hoping you'd have an idea."

They looked at Mirellia, who thought for several moments before sighing. "As much as I'd like to assist you, I don't have any information that would be of any real help. The Cardinal Heroes of the past never left behind much of anything, aside from a few loose ends and some border disputes."

"Loose ends?" Raphtalia asked with a flick of her ears. "What are you referring to?"

The queen waved her hand around lazily. "Oh just a few demons, an angry dragon, and a tortoise that's several times the size of Melromarc. All of which were sealed rather than killed. We have to keep the seals under constant surveillance to ensure they're not broken."

L'arc raised an eyebrow as he cleaned out his ear using his pinky finger. "So you're telling me these heroes of the past didn't really fix any of these problems? They just swept 'em under the rug and called it a day?" he asked.

"That's correct, but...what are you getting at?" Mirellia asked, interested.

"Why were they sealed instead of killed? If they were dangerous, it'd make more sense to just kill 'em rather than seal 'em away." The redhead's question made the queen narrow her eyes.

"The demons were all capable of possessing a person and taking control of them completely. Every time the person died, the demon would be freed to take another victim. So we sealed both the demons and their hosts together to prevent the chaos from getting worse." The people present all nodded at the explanation, but their expressions were grim.

"People getting possessed by demons..." Raphtalia murmured, glancing at her master out of the corner of her eyes. He was gently tracing the scar on his face in thought, but was broken from it as she gently laid a hand on his leg in comfort. The two shared a smile.

"That sounds awful..." Therese said softly. "But what about the tortoise or the dragon?"

Mirellia shook her head. "They couldn't possess anyone as far as we knew, but any attempts at stopping them were met with failure. Simply put, they were far too powerful for entire kingdoms to take down even with the Cardinal Heroes on their side. Sealing them away was the only option, and we're not even sure _how_ they managed to do it in the first place."

Naofumi was deep in thought for several seconds before he spoke. "Well I guess that's our only clue to go on. It isn't much, but anything related to the heroes of the past could be our only hint." he turned to Raphtalia who smiled and nodded at him with her tail swishing behind her.

"I think it's worth a try, but we need to be careful. If we unseal these things, it could be a disaster."

Therese and L'arc shared a look and a conversation without words, before they returned their gazes to the rest of the group. "We don't have any legends or crazy rumors like that, so at the very least we can take a look at it and see if it gets us anywhere. Chances are we'll find absolutely nothing." the bluenette said, expression relaxing by the second as a rough plan was formed.

L'arc held his head up with his hands, elbows on the table. "Once the Wave here is over, we'll head back to our world and see if there's anything more we can find. We're not abandoning you guys, but it would be great if you have something for us to work with when we come back."

The queen nodded at him before pulling out her fan and hiding her face behind it slightly. "And how will you know where to find us when you return?"

L'arc chuckled. "Well I could always meet back up at your kingdom and you'll send someone to grab the kiddo and his friends. Sound good to you?" he asked, far too lax for a noble talking about important business.

"That is acceptable. My Shadows are very effective and efficient trackers, so they should be able to locate Lord Naofumi's group with ease..." she gave a slightly pointed look toward the man in question. "Assuming he gives me any sort of notice when he decides to leave."

"Don't count on it. I doubt I'll be staying in Melromarc very often." Naofumi said while crossing his arms. The queen sighed but gave up on trying to persuade him further.

"Very well. I'll have one of my Shadows tailing you pretty much wherever you go outside of my country, then." she said with a smug tone as Naofumi's mood worsened and he scowled a bit. However, he didn't complain about it since there could be a benefit to having a way to contact her if need be.

They quickly departed and went back to training for the next two days before the Wave. The time flew by and what was supposed to be a relaxing trip to an island resort would soon become a deadly battle for survival. As Naofumi and his party mentally prepared themselves, they met at the docks as they were told by the queen.

The armada of warships was already nearby, awaiting the final half hour before the Wave struck. The air was filled with tension as the mob of nondescript adventurers finished their final preparations for the upcoming battle. They were a surprisingly cohesive group in the end, taking the news of a Wave more calmly than most people would in their position. This made planning for who would go on which ship much easier for Mirellia, and although she never mentioned it she appreciated their cooperation and lack of panic.

"Master Naofumi, how do you feel?" Raphtalia asked, walking up beside him as he gazed upon the fleet of ships in the ocean. He sighed.

"About as good as I'll ever be. It feels like we just went through this, probably because we did only a week ago." A flash of a smile before it fell from his face. "The Waves are getting deadlier every time. We _need_ to figure out what we can do, or we're going to lose a lot more people."

"No-foomi." Sho said, garnering their attention. He beat a fist against his chest in a salute. "Happy to fight by your side. Make you proud." The hero nodded and gave the same salute back.

"Likewise. We'll make it through this no matter what."

"Master, how are we supposed to fight while on a boat? There's not enough space for us to move around." Filo asked, shaking her head to fluff her feathers.

Naofumi fully turned toward his group, leaning back against the railing. "Chances are, Ren and the others will be focused on taking down the big guys. Our job is to defend our ship as much as possible, and assist the others if we get a chance. Besides, the creatures will probably come to us, so we won't need to fight in the water."

He jokingly pulled out the Penguin Plush with a smirk that made Raphtalia pale slightly. "And if worst comes to worst, we still have these to breathe underwater."

The raccoon's eye twitched before she huffed. "Master Naofumi, I am _never_ under any circumstances wearing that _thing_ ever again."

"And why not!? It's useful!"

"It looks so...so childish!"

He took a closer look at it before shrugging. "You never cared much about what you were wearing before. Why the sudden change?" He asked, knowingly. If it weren't for the man's smirk, Raphtalia's face would have burned in embarrassment.

However, it still burned in frustration.

"My tastes have simply matured a bit more, that's all." she said with finality, crossing her arms. Her pout subsided as she looked around. "Where are the other three heroes? Weren't they supposed to meet us here?"

Naofumi looked around as well, but saw nobody. The Cardinal Heroes and their party members would be warped to their respective boats when the Wave starts, but everyone else needed to board their vessels beforehand. "Hmm. Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any of them. L'arc and Therese should be commanding a ship of their own, so they're already out there."

He looked to the corner of his vision at the timer which read 00:12:04 and was counting down. "They don't really _have_ to be here when the Wave starts since they'll be warped anyway, but if they're not prepared it won't go well for us."

"That won't be necessary." came the voice of the one-armed swordsman walking down the dock. He now had two party members with him: a short and thin woman with braided purple hair wielding a bow and arrows, as well as a larger man covered from head to toe in heavy armor and wielding a metal hammer and a shield.

Naofumi turned to them with a smile. "Good to see you made it on time, Ren. And it seems like you've found a few new allies as well."

The Sword Hero nodded, hand on the hilt of his sword at his hip. "Yeah. These are Armalis and Jugo, two adventurers who were here for the EXP event. They said they're willing to team up with me for the Wave at least, and we'll see what happens afterward."

Raphtalia sighed in relief. "I'm glad you won't be fighting alone, at least. The Waves are dangerous enough, and we all need someone to watch our backs once the fighting begins."

Armalis, the ranger, gave a lazy salute and a smile. "Or I can just cover everyone's backs at the same time! Easy peasy. Perks of using a bow." she said haughtily as she idly spun an arrow between her fingers. Sho said nothing, but in his own mind the challenge had been issued. Whether the human girl knew about it or not, he would be keeping track of kills when he could.

Ren gave the slightest hint of a smile. "I was lucky to meet them, to be honest. Though..." he trailed off as his eyes wandered to the ocean and he turned green. As he hunched over, the man held his hand over his mouth.

"You okay, Broody? You don't look so good." Filo noted. Her tendency to give people nicknames before truly getting to know them was concerning for Raphtalia, but the raccoon allowed it since it gave her a bit of personality.

The hero had his back rubbed by the armored man beside him. In a tone muffled by his full helmet, he spoke. "Apparently, Ren gets horrible seasickness." Jugo said with a sigh.

"He can't swim, either!" Armalis exclaimed with a laugh. "Can you believe that? A hero who can't even stand the sight of the ocean? Crazy, right?" Naofumi failed to stifle his chuckles, hiding behind his shield out of sympathy. Raphtalia looked at him with concern.

"You...can't swim?" she asked, and Ren managed to shake his head. "You looked fine on our way here, though..."

After gluing his eyes shut for a few seconds, Ren's stomach felt less queasy and he managed to stand on his own. With a few deep breaths, he responded. "I...had a fair bit to drink that night. Alcohol tends to calm my stomach, for some reason."

"Why not drink a bit, then?" Naofumi offered with a shrug. "I actually have some right here-"

"Master Naofumi!" Raphtalia interrupted, slapping his shoulder with a grimace. "What did I tell you about becoming an alcoholic!?"

"It's not even for me!" he whined. Summoning a bottle of liquor from his inventory, Naofumi quickly forced it into the Sword Hero's hands. "Just take it! Drink however much you need and keep the rest for the trip back!"

"I can't believe you just had that on-hand, Master Naofumi!"

"Give it a rest, Raphtalia! I promise that was the only one I had, and it was for emergencies!"

"..._Emergencies?_" she asked through grit teeth. "_What _kind_ of 'emergencies'!?"_

"Like this one!" he exclaimed with a roll of his eyes that annoyed the Tanuki even further. He turned to see Ren being force-fed liquor by Armalis who wore a gleeful smirk. "So where the hell are Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumbass?"

Filo cocked her head to the side. "Master, what's a Tweedle?"

Ren and Naofumi shared a look and both ignored her question as the one-armed man responded. "They should be here any minute now. I saw them on our way here."

The timer was down to the last five minutes before the two remaining heroes arrived. Itsuki still had three companions, and Motoyasu had two. Ren turned to them as they approached. "You're almost late." he said simply.

Once again, the absence of Malty Melromarc was made evident by the lack of clinging and fawning over the man. Naofumi wasn't sure whether to smile or not.

"We had some last minute preparations to finish." Itsuki said, gripping his bow in his hand. "Just don't get in my way once the fighting starts. We all know how that went last time." Most of his party members were indifferent, but one of them, a green haired girl with her hair tied into pigtails, looked nervous enough to pass out.

Motoyasu rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. _You're_ the one who got in _my _way. If you hadn't missed that woman and almost hit me, I would have taken down a huge chunk of her HP!"

"You probably couldn't have done more than a couple hundred points of damage with stats like yours, Motoyasu." the blond archer shot back, angering the taller man.

"That's bullshit and you know it! My STR stat is almost the same as Ren's, and his is the highest out of all of us!"

Naofumi groaned before mumbling under his breath. "Do we seriously have to deal with this shit?.." Raphtalia gave a sad smile.

"Please just bear with it for now...Once this is over we probably won't have to see them again for quite some time."

"Not if the queen has it her way..."

Ren cleared his throat. "Enough bickering, you two. Are you ready this time? This Wave will probably be just as hard if not worse than the last one." His sharp gaze landed on the Spear Hero. "And we _all_ know what we lost because we weren't taking it seriously."

The blond man scoffed. "As if you're one to talk, Ren! You barely show any emotion at all; I can't tell if you care or not!"

Naofumi smirked and turned away. "You couldn't see someone lying straight to your face, so I'm not surprised that you can't tell." he grumbled under his breath, staring back out to the ocean.

"What was that, you traitor!? I don't want to hear anything from _you_ about lying!" the Spear wielder said, brandishing his weapon and getting into a fighting stance. "Once this Wave is over, I challenge you to a one on one duel! If I win, you go back to prison for the rest of your life where you belong!"

The Shield Hero chuckled darkly, letting out a small piece of his demonic aura that made everyone else shiver. His voice held a double tone that felt threatening. **"You'll fail, just like how that bitch failed to have me killed like she wanted. But, you're more than welcome to try. See where that gets you."**

Motoyasu saw red, and he lunged at Naofumi who slapped the spear aside with his shield before embedding his fist in the man's gut and causing him to hunch over in pain. "Lord Motoyasu!" one of his companions ran up to check on him. Wincing, the Spear hero glared at the black haired man. "What is your deal!? You rape Myne, break out of jail, and you spit on her memory like some kind of monster!"

Ren was done listening to this.

With a few quick steps, the one-armed man whipped out his sword and held it at Motoyasu's throat. The man's eyes widened as he gazed down the length of the weapon and into the swordsman's cold eyes. "Your entire point is flawed, Motoyasu. I'm certain that Naofumi didn't do anything to Princess Malty. She _lied_ to you."

"But that's impossible! She would never have done something like that!"

"How are you so sure?" Ren's glare sharpened further, making the blond man wince.

"Because...she just wouldn't..!"

"That's not very convincing." Ren pulled the sword away from the man's neck, allowing him to stand. "You told us that everyone else is just an NPC and it doesn't matter what happens to them, but you make an exception for the princess. Why?"

Naofumi snorted with a scowl, looking away and crossing his arms. "I'll tell you why. The guy only has one brain and it's in his pants."

Motoyasu's face burned in anger. "Now you listen here, Naofumi! It doesn't matter if they're NPCs or not, you can't go around treating women like that! Rape and slavery are very serious crimes back in our world, and you can't be allowed to get away with things like that! This isn't some power fantasy where you get revenge for being ignored in our world!"

The oppressive aura coming from Naofumi tripled in intensity, forcing some of the weaker members to their knees. **"I listened, so now it's your turn."** he summoned the Dark Wolf Greatblade and gently stabbed it into the wood of the docks. **"You're so focused on getting women to like you that you have no idea when they're taking advantage of you. You may be dressed in white armor, but you're no knight saving them from the 'Shield Demon'. You're blind and you're an imbecile."**

Even Ren was surprised at the massive blade that Naofumi possessed, and the relative ease with which he moved it around. **"If you want to hate me for something I didn't do, then fine. Malty Melromarc was a liar and an absolute disgrace of a human being, and I think she got off easy by dying by someone else's hand than mine."**

The demonic aura subsided and Naofumi's scarstopped burning red. ** "**Open your eyes and see that lives really are at stake here, innocent lives. Surely you've realized that, even if these people really _were_ NPCs, their lives have value and meaning. You can't tell me that their deaths would mean absolutely nothing to you, because the princess's death has obviously hurt you."

Ren stepped in. "He's right, Motoyasu. Regardless of everything else, the people here should matter to us. We're not here as heroes just to have a fancy title, we're here to save these people." Itsuki flinched at that, clenching his fist around his bow but said nothing.

The timer ran down its final seconds, but before they were teleported away, Naofumi added one last thing. "I don't hate you Motoyasu, but you make it _so damn hard_ to like you."

And with that, the timer hit zero and the sky darkened into a red shade. A bright light encompassed everyone present before they reappeared on their boats along with a mass of crew members. Naofumi and his party would be commanding their own ship along with a small fleet of three other boats, but they all deferred to the queen's command.

Looking around, monsters immediately poured from the cracks in the sky. Sharks and water snakes fell into the depths of the ocean before immediately assaulting the boats. Within seconds the waters were infested with monsters. Naofumi swiped his hand toward the crew members who stood in shock. "Here we go! Everyone get ready!"

The soldiers quickly began dumping barrels into the ocean which floated some distance away. One by one the barrels exploded, creating water geysers from their blasts. Bodies of sharks and other aquatic creatures floated to the surface, dead. Naofumi turned to the soldiers in awe. "What was in those barrels?" he asked.

As the soldier heaved another barrel into the water, he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "They're filled with Lucor fruit, which is highly flammable!" the man yelled. Naofumi nodded, drawing his sword and looking at his three companions.

"Alright you guys, our job is to keep the monsters away from the ships however we can. Once the boss shows up, some of us will go after it. If we're lucky, Ren and the others will back us up." Some oversized crows and bats fell through the Wave rifts before swarming at every ship in sight. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" Raphtalia and Filo responded. Sho grabbed a small handful of arrows, knocking them one at a time and launching them toward the oncoming horde. They screeched as the arrows tore through their wings and they plummeted into the sea where some of the sharks diverted course to feast on their crippled allies.

A few more barrels exploded in the water, and more bodies were visible between the waves. Naofumi dodged the talons of a swooping crow before cleaving it in half with a single swing of his sword. His eyes widened.

'I didn't even put much force behind that swing and it took that thing down in a single hit. Just how much stronger _are_ we?' he thought to himself, bringing up his shield and knocking a bat away. It spasmed from the blow, twitching as it lay on the deck. Naofumi quickly ended its life with a stab of his blade.

"Master Naofumi, look out there!" he turned his head to see Raphtalia pointing toward the horizon. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sho take down three crows in quick succession with a smirk on his face.

Beneath the waves, a dark shadow could be seen moving quickly toward the fleet. Sweat dripped from his brow as he shouted to the crew. "There's something big down there! Brace yourselves!"

Moments later, the ship rocked dangerously and the muffled sound of splintering wood could be heard as the shadow collided with the ship. The few crew members unlucky enough to have nothing to hold onto were tossed to the deck, and the even less fortunate ones too close to the edge were thrown overboard.

A deep humming could be heard before a massive beam of light shot from the sea, piercing a nearby ship and causing a massive explosion. Shielding his eyes with his arm at the brightness, Naofumi's eyes widened. He turned to Filo, who was busy flying through the air while attacking anything that got too close.

"Filo! That's our cue! Let's get down there and draw its attention away from everyone else!" he yelled. A watersnake lunged at him from the edge of the deck, but was impaled by two arrows directly in the skull.

"Go!" Sho yelled, not wasting a second and resuming his slaughter of the beasts. Naofumi nodded, running toward Filo and jumping onto her back.

"Get us underwater! When we get its attention, get it to chase us and jump as high into the air as you can! None of us can fight it while it's underwater!"

"Got it!"

With a single leap, Filo jumped into the water toward the unknown monstrosity. Naofumi shielded himself with **Aura**, a skill that he had found sitting literally in the center of town at a small shrine to the Cardinal Heroes. A simple translation was all it took to learn the spell, and Naofumi was surprised at the diverse number of effects it had from defensive boosts to underwater breathing.

The water was surprisingly clear despite the lack of sunlight, revealing the underwater assailant to be some kind of whale with a large horn on its head. Steeling his nerves, Naofumi used an ability that hadn't seen much use. **"Hate Reaction!"** he cried. A red aura surrounded the creature and it quickly turned a large head to glare in his direction. With a roar muffled by the water, it diverted course to charge directly at him.

It swam much faster than he was prepared for, but Filo reacted quickly enough to start swimming in the opposite direction. The horn on its head was nearly the length of a boat, and its body stretched another boat's length from head to tail. This, coupled with its high speed and long ranged attacks, very clearly made it the boss of the wave.

The queen's boat was marked on the underside for Filo and Naofumi to see, and the filolial swam toward it to give the other heroes a better position to attack from. WIth one more powerful flap of her wings, Filo burst forth from the water and into the air. Only an instant later, a massive splash followed and the beast was revealed for all to see.

Down on the boat, the other heroes attacked. **"Meteor Arrow!"**

"**Meteor Thrust!"**

"**Meteor Slash!"**

The attacks flew toward the whale with destructive power, but didn't even phase the monster as it crashed back into the ocean. The waves from the impact caused the boats to tip dangerously far to the side, and one even fell over into the ocean before sinking.

"Dammit, we didn't even scratch it!" Ren cried, holding himself tightly against the mast of the boat.

"But that's impossible! Those are our strongest skills!"Motoyasu yelled back, spinning his spear and knocking a bat to the ground before stabbing it in the body.

"We had to have done something! We'll try again! Aim for the eyes! It has to have a weak point!" Itsuki shouted as he prepped more arrows.

Naofumi and Filo were still soaring in the air while the boss was stalking them below the water. "Damn, they couldn't do any real damage?" Naofumi said to himself. "There's got to be something else we can do!" He took a deep breath before shouting. **"Hate Reaction!"**

Another burst of red surrounded the creature, and the hum of energy building at its horn told Naofumi that they would need to dodge. Filo could sense it as well, and after a moment of tense waiting a beam of energy shot into the sky toward them. They nimbly evaded, allowing the laser to pierce the clouds above them.

"Haaaah!"

A battle cry came from below as the beast surfaced, and L'arc could be seen dragging his scythe down the length of the boss's head. Blood spewed from the wound and it roared in pain before diving deep into the water.

"**Air Strike Shield!"**

A green shield appeared between the man and a nearby boat, and he barely managed to leap from the monster's back in time and onto the shield. With another jump he landed safely on the boat, looking into the sky with a two-finger salute.

"Appreciate it, kiddo!" he shouted.

A few seconds later the boat he was on splintered in half as the boss crashed through it. Both ends of the ship tilted upwards and the crew screamed as they were forced closer and closer to the water.

Filo swooped down before snagging the redheaded prince in her claws and flying to the next available ship. Panting slightly, L'arc chuckled. "Thanks for the lift! You really saved my bacon there!"

Naofumi would have laughed if the situation weren't so serious. "Just keep doing what you did and we'll take this thing down!" They landed on the queen's boat and Filo released L'arc from her grasp. He shook himself off and stretched for a moment.

"Naofumi!" Ren yelled, running up to him. "Throw me that big sword of yours!"

The Shield Hero raised an eyebrow. "Why!?"

"Just do it! I have an idea!"

"Arrgh, fine!" Naofumi did as he was told, summoning the Dark Wolf Greatblade and throwing it to his fellow hero who caught it using his one hand. Electricity burst forth from where his hand touched the handle and Ren winced. The shocks increased in intensity and the black haired man roared.

Suddenly, the sparks turned into flames which licked the wood of the boat's deck. Although he was in horrible pain, Ren continued screaming and held fast to the massive sword. The flames tripled in size and heat, changing from their usual orange to a bright blue, then to a hot white color that forced everyone to shield their eyes lest they be blinded.

Naofumi knew exactly what the man was doing, and he grit his teeth at the brutal reminder of how painful it can be. 'He's trying to use a weapon other than his Sword! But why? Wouldn't it be better if he just-' His mind grinded to a halt.

"Ren! Hold your sword in your mouth and copy it!" he shouted. Without a second hand to hold both swords at the same time, Ren was suddenly incapable of using Weapon Copy. That is, unless he used a rather...unique method.

"What!?" the Sword Hero managed to grind out through grit teeth.

"Just do it!"

Ren stabbed the massive blade into the deck, where it burned the wood around itself. Reaching to his hip, he pulled out the Legendary Sword and grasped the hilt with his teeth. Once again he grabbed the Greatblade's hilt, but this time it did not shock him. Instead, the flames swirled around the weapon like an aura. Closing his eyes, Ren took a deep breath and suddenly the blade in his mouth was a direct copy of the Dark Wolf Greatblade. Despite its incredibly high weight, he held it like it was weightless.

The weapon in his hand crumbled to dust, and the Hero used his now-free hand to grasp the hilt of his new weapon. He was panting slightly from the exertion and residual pain, but his adrenaline along with the liquor he had drank earlier were numbing the stings. "_*huff*_ Thanks! I'll pay you back somehow!" he yelled.

"You'd better! That sword was rare!" Naofumi shouted back, but his face held a small smirk. Their attention was grabbed as a nearby ship was pierced by the boss's laser beam and a hole ripped through the entire rear end of the vessel. "We have to do something about that thing! L'arc, Ren, can you two get any damage in from here if we get it out of the water?"

The prince shook his head. "No can do, kiddo! Long ranged attacks are Therese's specialty, and she's on another boat!"

Ren nodded. "I have a few attacks that might do some serious damage with a sword like this. Its stats are absolutely insane!" His face was serious, however. "But I'll need to be really close for any of them to be useful. Can you hold it out of the water somehow? All I need is a few seconds."

Naofumi hopped back on Filo. "We can think something up. Just be ready to go and even more ready to get off!"

The swordsman hefted his Greatblade over his shoulder using his one arm. "Got it. Good luck!"

"Right! Let's go, Filo!"

"Alright!" the bird replied, leaping back into the water.

The whale's wound on its back oozed blood into the water, darkening the ocean and making it difficult to see. Still, the creature's massive size made it relatively easy to pinpoint its whereabouts. 'One more time! That's all we need!' Naofumi thought. **"Hate Reaction!"**

The boss was even quicker to speed in their direction, likely angered by its inability to take down a single nuisance. Jaws wide, it rushed at them.

"Now!" Naofumi yelled, and Filo leapt into the air once more. The whale's jaws snapped shut in midair meters behind them, and the hero turned around before sheathing his sword. 'Time for something a little crazy! I have just enough time!'

"**Titanic Strength!"** Naofumi cried, engulfing himself in a bright red aura. "Alright Filo, let's keep this guy in the air!"

"Right!"

"As source of thy power, I order thee: Decipher the laws of nature and blow my target away! **Greater Tornado!**" they chanted in unison. A ring of wind raged beneath the boss before extending upward, enveloping it in a massive cyclone. Empowered by both spellcasters and Naofumi's additional attack power from his **Titanic Strength**, it was enough to slow the beast's descent back to the ocean. It flailed and thrashed against the winds, but was unable to break free.

From their place in the sky, the two could see L'arc jump through the windstorm and onto the whale's back. He swung his scythe in wide arcs, cleaving through its flesh with ease. Ren was still standing on the boat, but his sword was covered in raging white energy and his body was sparking with white flames. In an instant, he leapt off of the deck and toward the boss.

"Eat this! **Heaven Splitter!**"

With a quadruple front flip to build momentum, the swordsman brought his weapon down onto the whale's body. Upon impact, the beast's thrashing immediately halted as a flaming stream of energy erupted from the man's blade and cut right through completely. The force from both the blow and the cyclone kicked up massive waves in the ocean, capsizing multiple boats and damaging others. The wind roared in Naofumi's ears, and the air itself thrummed with power.

After a few moments, the windstorm died down and the whale's body fell into the water before separating into two pieces down the center. Red-dyed water began spreading from its body with disgusting squirting sounds from the massive wound. However, the Wave wasn't over.

Naofumi and Filo landed back on the boat beside the others and he turned toward Ren in surprise. "What in the world was that, Ren? I didn't know you had an attack like that!"

The man, who was drenched in water and blood, was laying down on the deck shivering and terrified. "I-I used some of the d-dragon's power, but it makes everything so c-c-cold!" Ren said, huddling in on himself for warmth. "A-and I didn't have a plan to get back to the boat afterward! I thought I was going to drown!" Although the alcohol had temporarily negated his sea sickness, it obviously didn't extend to improving his lack of swimming skills.

L'arc shook his head to rid the water from his hair. "You're lucky I was there to drag you back, eh?" he said with a smile. "Must be hard to swim with a sword that big and only one arm, haha!" he laughed, heaving his scythe onto his shoulder. Ren merely glared at him half-heartedly with more shivering. Jugo came and dropped a blanket over him in silence, which the hero clutched tightly to himself.

Naofumi sweatdropped. "For a hero, that's so...undignified." he said, before looking upward. "The Wave isn't finished yet, so we should be on our guard."

"Nah, we'll be fine..." L'arc said casually, before a figure dropped from the sky onto the deck. "...Probably." he added.

The woman was dressed in a black kimono with long black hair and a ghostly white skin tone. If it weren't for her piercing red eyes, Naofumi would have thought she belonged in a traditional Japanese setting. "L'arc, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, coldly.

"That's her!" Motoyasu stepped forward unsteadily, face looking pale. "She's the one who took down Myne and the others!" His anger was starting to override his own sea sickness, and he roared before charging and stabbing at her. His attack was effortlessly batted aside by the metal fan in her hand, and she used her other hand to push on his chest. Despite the lack of force she put into it, the attack sent the man flying backward into the mast of the ship with a loud crash.

"Be silent, fool. The adults are talking." she said before turning back to the redheaded prince. "Now then, care to explain your plan?"

Naofumi was on his guard, and Ren managed to stand to his feet shakily. L'arc cracked his neck using his hand, and he let out a relieved sigh. _*Pop*_ "Ahh, that felt good. How's it goin' Glass? You're a bit out of the loop, but basically we're helping each other now."

The woman now known as Glass glared at him. "This world is doomed, L'arc. These heroes are all failures and will not survive the Waves as long as we will. There is no benefit to us in aiding them."

The redhead clicked his tongue. "Now now Glass, don't be so rude to someone you've never met! Naofumi here is a hell of a fighter, and Ren helped take out the boss here! You saw it with your own eyes!" He angled his head over his shoulder to look at Motoyasu, who was being helped to his feet by Itsuki. He sweatdropped. "Can't say much about those two, though..."

"Defeating a monster like that is child's play, L'arc. You wouldn't even need half of your strength to take it down with ease."

Naofumi looked at the prince in surprise. "You were just playing around with it the whole time!?" he asked, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Peoples' lives were on the line, L'arc!"

The scythe-wielder gave an unapologetic smile and a shrug. "Hey, I had to judge whether you were worth helping somehow. If you guys couldn't take something like that down on your own, this world would fall to the Waves too quickly for us to even find a way to save the others."

Although he understood the man's reasoning, Naofumi groaned and facepalmed. "Jeez...At least be a little remorseful for it..." he said. L'arc merely laughed at him and patted him on the back.

"Aww, c'mon kiddo! You guys did great! Nothing to worry about!"

Glass stepped forward until she stood a few meters in front of them. From this distance her ghostly pale skin was even more pronounced. "Don't be foolish. Even if they could take down a monster as weak as that, it would only make them more dangerous to our cause. What you're doing is treason, Prince Berg."

He chuckled. "Don't be like that, Glass! You know as well as I do that there's no guarantee the heroes of any other worlds are weak too. We can't be naive enough to believe that we'll outlast them all, so we're looking for another solution."

Naofumi was still gripping his sword loosely, but he was prepared to fight if necessary. "We're trying to stop the Waves from happening without any of our worlds being killed off. If it sounds ridiculous and impossible, then good." he smirked as Glass's expression became mildly intrigued. "For whatever reason, beating the odds is a talent of mine."

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Bravado is just arrogance if you can't back it up."

The hero took a step forward. "Want to put that to the test, then? I already know that you guys will leave once the Wave is over, so now's your chance." he said, gripping his sword tighter. L'arc stepped between them while waving his hands.

"No no, don't do that!" he exclaimed, getting close to Naofumi and whispering. "She's crazy when it comes to fighting strong people, even more than me! Besides, I called first dibs on fighting you!"

The black haired woman deadpanned. "I can clearly hear you..." she said. Naofumi sweatdropped as he nudged the taller man away.

"Listen, I get it. We all just want to survive, but going after each other's throat isn't helping any of us. If we work together, there's at least a slim chance that we'll succeed." he said. "I'm just here to save as many people as I can and be powerful enough to keep them safe. From the Waves, from corruption, and if I have to, from _all of you_."

The woman cracked a thin smile. "Well you certainly have the tongue of a hero, but we'll see if you follow through on that. Stronger men than you have tried to do the same thing and failed." She closed her eyes with a quiet sigh. "But if the prince believes you can be trusted, I have no reason to object to his judgment. However..." her eyes reopened and fixed themselves on the Spear and Bow heroes.

"These two are liabilities. As such, I will be eliminating them."

Ren stood beside Naofumi, blocking her path to the others. "I won't let you kill them. You already defeated us once and it cost us all dearly, but I will not allow myself to fail my allies again."

"Even without one of your arms, you believe you're capable of protecting your world?" Glass asked, drawing her fans. "Surely you haven't changed much in the past week."

"I've learned a lot, actually. Naofumi taught me that there's way more to this than I had believed, and he opened my eyes to reality." Ren said, looking down for a moment before raising his head to lock eyes with Glass. "I'd sacrifice my other arm if it meant keeping someone I care about safe."

Her gaze hardened. "If you have truly become as wise as you try to sound, you would step aside so I can cut these weights off of your back."

Ren stood firm, drawing his weapon and holding it out in front of him. "No. I won't back down, whether you're an ally or not. They may be blind like I was before, but they don't deserve to die. Isn't that right, Naofumi?" he asked, turning to see the Shield hero averting his gaze with arms crossed.

"Honestly? I don't care much about the two of them personally." he admitted to no one's surprise. "Motoyasu especially. If it wouldn't put the world's future at risk, I'd let you beat him senseless without a second thought. But because it would, I'll have to stand in your way." he said, switching to his **Stone Titan Shield**.

"She's the one who killed Myne, though! We can't be allies with her! Never!" the Spear hero announced. "You guys must be crazy if you think we could team up with her!"

Itsuki drew an arrow and knocked in on his bow. "Move aside, you two! Murderers like her need to be punished! She isn't even sorry for what she did!" The green haired companion from earlier was huddled on the corner of the deck, making a whimpering noise that sounded like 'fueeeh'.

Naofumi turned toward the woman. "So, what's it gonna be?" he asked. Glass closed her eyes and expanded the fans in her hands, gathering energy for a moment. With a bright flash, her eyes shot open.

"**Zero Stance Rondo: Reverse Four Seasons!"** she cried, swiping her fans repeatedly and causing thin shockwaves of energy to slice through the air toward them.

"**Shield Prison!"**

With a cry, Naofumi covered himself and the other Cardinal Heroes in a ball of green metal plates. The impacts from Glass's attack shook the barrier, but it held. After a few seconds they stopped, and he released the ability.

"So you can defend against my attack? Interesting, but let's see you defend against this one." the black haired woman said, closing her fans until they looked more akin to daggers. They glowed a bright white color as they gathered power, and she dashed toward them with blinding speed.

"**Rupture Stance Rondo: Tortoise shell Cracker!"**

Naofumi barely had time to lift his shield before her fan struck, and he was pushed back slightly from the force. He grit his teeth as his feet dug into the wood of the deck.

"Haaaaah!" came the yell of Ren, who spun around Naofumi and swung his blade downward toward their opponent. With a graceful parry, Glass used her second fan to knock his weapon into the deck where it splintered the wood. She then released her attack on Naofumi before spinning and kicking the one-armed swordsman away.

"I've got you now!"

Itsuki released multiple arrows in quick succession, all of which were either dodged or blocked by the woman's fans. With a growl, he charged up a more powerful attack. "Urgh, **Meteor Shot!"**

He fired the arrow that flew faster than most could see, but with practiced precision Glass struck at a key spot on Naofumi's shield arm. The hit to his pressure point forced his arm to move in such a way that his shield was now in the path of the arrow, and it deflected off the metal before flying high into the air. With sweat dripping down his brow, Naofumi ducked down low.

"Now!" he yelled.

"This is for Myne!" Motoyasu screamed. **"Meteor Thrust!" **The Spear user barely avoided impaling his fellow hero with his attack, skinning a few hairs off of the man's head. However, Glass was ill-prepared to react to the unusual strategy. Motoyasu's spear grazed the edge of her kimono as she evaded, slicing a clean slit on the side of one breast. She used his lack of balance to kick his feet from underneath him, causing the blonde man to fall flat on his face.

As she held one fan like a knife to impale his back, she was hit with a sudden blast of wind from Naofumi that knocked her back enough to give the man space to stand.

For a few moments they faced off, some panting harder than others. Glass looked barely winded, while Motoyasu and Ren were exhausted. The combination of fighting against a Wave and a more intelligent and complex opponent was taking its toll on them. Naofumi held his sword in a reverse grip, using the hilt to crack his neck to the side.

"You wanna keep going? The Wave only has another few minutes at most, and I'd like to have a plan before you guys go back." he said. Glass held his gaze before Naofumi heard the sound of rustling clothing to the side. He turned his shield to block the attack, and his eyes widened as L'arc's smirking expression greeted him.

"What do you think you're doing!?" he cried, forcing the redhead back before deflecting a flourish of the man's scythe. L'arc spun the weapon in erratic ways akin to a baton, but the blade reflecting whatever light it could made it much more dangerous in comparison.

L'arc laughed. "Ha! You think I'd pass up a chance to go head to head with you, after all of this? Even if you're the Shield Hero, you've gotta be decent enough with that sword of yours! Show me what you've got, kiddo!" With a grunt, the man forced his opponent's shield away long enough to swipe at his exposed chest with his spear. However, it locked with Naofumi's own sword at the bottom of the blade, halting the two weapons in a blade lock.

Naofumi growled. "We don't have time for this! Stop this!"

The two exchanged a heated glare before pushing off of each other to create space. L'arc immediately rushed in with alarming speed. Naofumi, rather than blocking the attack, allowed it to soar over his head as he crouched down. With strength he wasn't fully aware of, he grabbed the redhead's arm and spun before throwing him into the deck of the ship. L'arc coughed up spit as his impact splintered the wood, cutting into his back.

Before Naofumi could get a better hold on his opponent, L'arc tugged on his arm, knocking the Shield Hero off balance. Taking advantage of the man's surprise, the prince swiped the man's leg out from beneath him. Their positions were immediately flipped, with L'arc holding the blade of his scythe against Naofumi's neck.

"Had enough, kiddo? You fight pretty well for-"

Naofumi grit his teeth. **"Rope Shield!"** Before L'arc could react, the man's shield transformed into a bundle of ropes which wound itself around his legs. He was mid-swing to slice the rope in half when a blade swiped at his throat, narrowly missing and causing him to back up slightly. This gave the Shield Hero enough space to stand, panting.

Naofumi held his sword out toward his opponent, who merely smirked at him. L'arc shouldered his weapon. "Now that's what I call a battle! Strategy, deception, and the unknown of just what the other person's abilities are just make it so much more exciting!"

"So, you finished having your fun or what?" the black haired man asked. The Scythe Hero shrugged.

"Well I would have been down for a longer fight, but it was fun enough for now." Naofumi lowered his weapon before looking at Glass.

"What about you?" he asked.

The woman shook her head. "I have no reason to murder you in cold blood. You have enough potential to maybe survive for quite some time. The one-armed one as well, to a lesser extent. If the prince believes you truly can find another way, I will not prevent it."

L'arc pointed a thumb back at her. "Yeah, what she said. Anyway, I'll be digging deeper into any ancient history to see if there's any clues we've missed on our end. If you can take a look at _that_," he emphasized, giving the man a knowing look, "hopefully we can find something that'll help us. We'll try to meet back up during one of the next few Waves and compare notes, but until then make sure you stay alive!"

His relaxed demeanor annoyed Ren and confused both Motoyasu and Itsuki. Naofumi rolled his eyes with a smile. "Just don't go getting yourself killed, _boy_." he said snarkily. The redhead snorted.

"Don't go giving me a nickname like that when I'm older than you, kiddo!"

The Shield hero chuckled. "Sure, whatever you say old man. Don't hurt your back."

L'arc and Naofumi bumped fists with matching smirks. "It's a challenge then! I can't wait!" he exclaimed, looking toward the sky which began changing color slightly. "Well that looks like our cue to leave. Gotta get back for dinner, you know? C'mon Glassy."

"Don't call me that."

He and Glass slowly began floating into the air, and from one boat away Therese could be seen doing the same. The fan wielder looked down at them with what appeared to be curiosity. "Your name is Naofumi, yes?"

Naofumi nodded. "Iwatani Naofumi."

She nodded in response. "I look forward to seeing your strength once again. Do not disappoint me." With that last statement, they vanished in a flash of light along with the red sky. The naturally blue skies returned, but it was eerily quiet until the roar of applause and cheers from the various crews broke the silence.

In any other situation Naofumi would have laughed to himself. "As if I don't have enough people I'm trying not to disappoint..." he mumbled. Only Ren heard it, and he snorted with a small smile on his face.

"Master Naofumi! Are you alright!?" came the voice of Raphtalia from the side. She had evidently been given a ride from the other boat by Filo, and she hopped off of the filolial's back before running to him.

He chuckled as she patted him down, searching for injuries. "I'm fine, Raph! Seriously, cut that out!" He stiffened slightly as she hugged him tightly, burying her head into his chest. He laid his arms around her gently. "Hey...I'm fine, see?"

She shook her head. "Just let me have this...please." she said, breathlessly. "It doesn't matter how many times we go through a Wave, I still get so scared that I'll lose you. I just want to enjoy the fact that you're still here."

Naofumi blushed slightly, looking to the side to see his companions and the other heroes. All three of the Cardinal Heroes were busy hanging over the edge of the railing with seasickness, being assisted by their companions. Filo and Sho now stood side by side, one looking at the two's embrace with her head tilted to the side and the other pointedly avoiding eye contact.

"C'mon, you're making a scene." he murmured. An exaggerated groan was her only response as she let go of him and stepped back with crossed arms and a pout.

"We'll see if I care about your well-being again, Naofumi."

"Oh you will." he responded without wasting an instant. The raccoon's tail stiffened in indignation and she growled, dark blush adorning her face.

"Grrr..." Suddenly, her anger dissipated and she slumped. "I hate that you're right."

He laughed at her only to be chased around the boat by a very annoyed and very well-armed Raphtalia.

Not long after they reached the shore, the queen called an emergency meeting with the four Cardinal Heroes in order to plan ahead. Naofumi and his party had just enough time to wash themselves so that they didn't reek of blood and sweat, but it wasn't long enough to truly relax. Naofumi didn't want to go to the meeting, but Raphtalia told him that she had a surprise waiting for him that he'd only get if he went. Although he worried about exactly what the surprise was, he was naturally curious and couldn't resist.

Now he sat in the same conference room with the other heroes and Mirellia, who was now dressed in very regal-looking armor befitting a monarch. Her expression was far more serious now than ever, and her usual fan to hide her face was nowhere to be seen. "First, I would like to thank the four of you for your assistance today. If it weren't for your efforts, it was likely that very few if any of us would survive." she said.

"It's all in a day's work." Itsuki said, holding his hands behind his head. Naofumi and Ren gave him disappointed looks.

"You didn't even do anything. If it weren't for Ren, we probably wouldn't have killed that thing." Naofumi said, rolling his eyes. The blond boy glared back at him.

"And what did _you_ do besides take the aggro away from everyone else the whole time, huh? That's what you're _supposed_ to do as a shielder!"

Ren shook his head. "He may have done what was expected of him, but Naofumi did very well at it. If it weren't for him keeping the boss's attention, a lot more people may have died."

The Bow hero growled in frustration but held his tongue. The others were intrigued at the lack of opinions from Motoyasu, who was sitting in his seat with a despondent expression. Mirellia raised an eyebrow at him. "Lord Motoyasu, is there something you'd like to add?" she asked.

He didn't respond.

Ren waved his hand in front of the man's face. "Hey, Motoyasu? You there?"

The blond continued to stare blankly at the table. Naofumi even mustered the slightest bit of concern for the man's mental health. Suddenly, Motoyasu looked at his hands as if they had betrayed him.

"But how?...How did my attacks do _nothing_? _Again?_" he mumbled. The others looked at him with concern as he muttered to himself. "Even with all of my stats and levels, I couldn't do a single thing to it. And _her_..." his eyes regained some of their fire along with his anger. "She came back and you became _allies_ with her!?" he shouted to Naofumi, who recoiled slightly at the sudden change of tone.

Motoyasu slammed a hand on the table before pointing an accusing finger at Naofumi. "She's our _enemy_, Naofumi! She killed almost all of our party members including Myne! I know that you two didn't get along-"

"We didn't." Naofumi interrupted with a glare, clenching his fists under the table.

"-but that doesn't mean it's okay to team up with her murderer, right? Tell me I'm right, you guys! Please!?" he asked the other two heroes. Ren closed his eyes and kept his head down, while Itsuki was deep in thought.

After several moments of silence, the Spear Hero's expression fell. "...You guys can't be serious...You're really taking his side on this?"

Naofumi's scar burned, but he settled for clenching his fists tight enough to nearly draw blood. Ren shook his head. "We talked about this before, Motoyasu. The princess wasn't exactly a good person."

"That's not true! She was always good to me!" the blond man exclaimed. "But those people _attacked_ us! They can't possibly be on our side! I might not get all of this about worlds destroying each other or whatever but if they're here to stop us from saving this one, they're our enemies!"

Mirellia shook her head. "Thinking like that may be why we have never successfully stopped the Waves from happening. I think it's time that we try something different, as outlandish as the idea may be."

"But you all said it yourself! The only way to stop the destruction of the world is to fight the Waves!"

Naofumi growled. "Just shut up for a second and listen!" His anger only served to make the Spear Hero's mood worse. "We're doing this whether you're with us or not, so make your damn choice so I know whether you'll be of any help at all!"

Motoyasu's eyes burned with fury. "Myne didn't die just for us to team up with her killer! If you're planning on helping them, you'll end up destroying this world! I won't be a part of that!" With a huff, Motoyasu knocked over his chair while standing up and stormed out the door. Ren and Mirellia sighed.

Itsuki stood as well. "As much as I understand where you guys are coming from, this doesn't seem like the best idea. I can't stand beside a murderer like that in good conscience. If they were our allies, they wouldn't have come and attacked us. I'm sorry, but I'm with Motoyasu on this one."

As the boy left, Naofumi sighed. "At least his reason was better than Motoyasu's..."

The queen hummed in agreement. "Indeed. Since it seems we will not have their support, it will be up to the two of you to do what you can." She turned to Naofumi. "Even if you are officially aligned with Siltvelt, which I cannot fault you for, I would like to at least clear your name in Melromarc."

Naofumi rolled his eyes. "And how would I do that? The one person I supposedly 'raped' is dead, so there's no way to get her to tell the truth." 

Mirellia's brow momentarily furrowed at the mention of her dead daughter, but she regained her composure quickly. "My husband is also at fault for how you were treated, and I could put him on trial for it." she said with a smirk. "Melromarc _is_ a matriarchy, after all."

He scoffed. "As happy as I'd be to put that piece of trash in his place, you're just flexing your power as queen. The people would accept what you say as the law and be done with it. There's nothing for me to truly gain."

"Actually, that's not true." she said, earning his attention. "The Three Heroes Church gained popularity after the last war, and I was unfortunately unable to dismantle it before it became more popular. My power as queen does have its limits. However, clearing your name also puts the tenants of the Three Heroes Church at risk, since it specifically claims that the Shield Hero is a devil who opposes humanity."

Ren chuckled. "I knew it sounded stupid even when I thought Naofumi actually had done something terrible. It seems silly that an entire religion would oppose one of the heroes that their country bothered to summon. If King Aultcray wanted to, he could have just not summoned you."

Mirellia sighed, brushing an errant lock of purple hair from her face. "He was, according to his words, 'so desperate to protect our kingdom that he was willing to rely on the Shield Demon to do it'. If I hadn't been busy cleaning up his mess, I could have actually used his mistakes to my advantage."

Naofumi groaned. "Ugh. Enough with the politics and scheming, I'm honestly tired of it."

"Very well then." the queen said. "Simply come to the trial. If you choose to exile him or humiliate him yourself, so be it. He deserves judgment for his actions, and he is not so foolish as to deny the verdict when I have evidence against him."

The Shield Hero ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I can be bothered to show up..."

"Wonderful! I'll arrange for the trial immediately upon our return. I hope that you'll tolerate staying in the castle that night, but if you feel that you belong elsewhere I will not hold you by force."

"Fine. I'll see what happens."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "By the way, how exactly are your stats as high as they are, Naofumi? I'm higher level than you, and your stats are mostly higher than mine."

Naofumi blinked. "Uhh, I don't really know. I just did what I thought was right and ended up with a lot of passive bonuses. Those add up after you have fifty to a hundred of them, even if they're tiny."

"Fifty to a hundred!?" Ren exclaimed, eyes wide. "I only have like thirty swords total, and I've only used eight of them for more than a short time!"

The queen leaned back in her chair, observing the two heroes make progress. Naofumi cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean, 'use them for more than a short time'? You get bonuses based on how many variants you have unlocked, not how long you use them."

"Actually that's exactly how my sword works." Ren said, pulling the weapon out and laying it on the table for all to see. "Each sword variant has a level that increases based on how long it's used, and that increases its power and bonuses. I prioritized the strongest swords I had because they gave the largest bonuses."

Naofumi shook his head. "That's completely different from how my shield works. I just get higher bonuses naturally over time, or as I level up. The help guide hasn't been useful for that, so I'm not certain. But if your sword gets stronger by using it, does it take longer to level up every time you do it?"

At Ren's nod, he continued. "Then wouldn't it make sense to level up the lower quality weapons too? Those bonuses may not be as big but like I said earlier, they add up quickly."

The Sword Hero nodded. "I wondered about that, but thought that having one or two strong weapons would outweigh the benefits of the smaller ones given my short time frame to raise their levels. Now that we have a little more time, I'll probably expand my arsenal."

Naofumi nodded. "I literally did everything I could to get as many shields as possible, and some of their bonuses are ridiculously high. Separating monster parts then feeding them to the weapon seems to unlock more than just a chunk of flesh or whatever."

Mirellia smiled at the two heroes sharing information. 'Perhaps this world truly can be saved, if they're actually willing to put aside their differences.'

"Anyway, it's getting late and I'm exhausted so I'll be heading out. Unless there's anything else?" Naofumi asked with a yawn. Mirellia shook her head.

"I think this was productive, despite the Spear and Bow Heros' lack of assistance. Can I expect you to join us in Melromarc after we reach the mainland, Lord Naofumi?"

He sighed. "I'll probably want to let the Siltvelt Councilmen know about it, but sure. I might as well."

"Splendid!" The queen smiled. "I will arrange for our nicest carriage to transport us to the capital. If you have any other amenities you wish to have upon our arrival, please let me know so I can arrange for them as well."

Naofumi put a hand to his chin in thought for several seconds before smirking at her. "I can think of _one_ thing, actually..."

He returned to the inn shortly after, but was suspicious when he was told his room had been changed. Walking up the stairs to the third floor, Naofumi opened the door to see Raphtalia in nothing but her undergarments sprawled out on the bed reading a book. His face burned a bright red as he quickly averted his eyes. However, the sound of him opening the door alerted her to his presence.

"Oh Naofumi, you're back!" she exclaimed, smiling up at him as she laid on her stomach with the book on the bed in front of her. "That took a bit longer than I expected. How did it go?" she asked. The hero kept his gaze fixed on a wall behind her so as to not overload his brain.

"I-it went well enough...I guess..." he stammered. "Wh-why are you dressed like..._that_? And why did our room number change?"

Raphtalia's tail swished back and forth behind her as she smiled at him. "Filo wanted to stay with Melty to play for longer, so I figured the two of us could get another room. I'm sure you're tired, so you wouldn't want them keeping you awake."

He looked at the room and coughed into his hand, blush darkening. "Uhh...You know there's only one bed in here, right?"

"Yes." she replied with her eyebrows raised in a 'are you stupid?' look.

"And you're barely even dressed!"

She closed the book before gently setting it on the nightstand beside her. "Naofumi, come here for a moment." she beckoned with her finger. He was reluctant, but the earnest look on her face made him agree with her request. As he sat down on the bed, his bod was ramrod straight and he did everything he could to keep his eyes forward.

This became significantly more difficult as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. His face felt like it was melting.

"Let me help you get this off." she said, loosening the straps that held his chestplate on as well as his gauntlets and greaves. He silently allowed her to assist him in removing his armor, which was beginning to look significantly more worn than it used to. After he had placed them into his inventory, she gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Go ahead and get changed." she instructed. Her strange tone was not lost on Naofumi, but he wondered what she was playing at. The hero changed into his sleeping pants, but as he was about to put on his shirt it was snatched by his companion.

"You won't be needing this." she said, crumpling it up before tossing it to the side. His eyes widened as she gripped his wrist and pulled him onto the bed with her. It was only now that he finally had an idea of what was happening that Naofumi could see just how red Raphtalia's face was.

The raccoon's tail flicked erratically in excitement as she pulled him to lay down beside her. "Um, Raphtalia?" he asked.

"Y-yes?"

"What...exactly are you doing?"

She didn't respond, instead choosing to wrap her arms around him tightly. Her tail draped over his leg and wrapped around as well. "I-I just wanted to make you feel good, Mas-Naofumi." she corrected herself in her slight panic.

He wrapped his arms around her thinner frame shakily. Although he refused to admit it to anyone, he enjoyed the feeling of her body pressed against his own. "Wh-what do you m-mean?" he stuttered. "I-I mean this feels, uhh, good...but...you know..." he trailed off, unsure of how to say what he meant.

She gently pushed her master until he was laying on his back, and she crawled on top of him with her arms beside his head. His eyes were wide as saucers, and both of their faces sported blushes. Raphtalia calmed her pounding heart as she gathered her courage and gulped.

"I'm not afraid anymore." she said breathlessly.

Before he could ask her what she meant, she quickly lowered herself until their lips met in a chaste kiss. Naofumi's mind grinded to a halt, but he made no move to resist.

It was a new sensation to him, to be kissed by a woman, much less a woman that he himself had strong feelings for. It was awkward and probably not as refined as it should have been, but it felt amazing all the same. His tense shoulders slowly relaxed as he gently pressed his lips against her own. If the way the raccoon's body pressed harder against his, Naofumi could assume her mind was having its own fireworks show as well.

She cupped his face with her hands as she deepened the kiss, turning her head slightly to allow for more contact. Raphtalia barely noticed when the man's hands snaked around her waist until they pulled her closer to him.

Her world was on fire, and she loved every moment of it.

It was nearly five minutes before the two pulled their faces apart, panting heavily. Raphtalia was straddling her master's waist and had her hands placed on his bare chest, feeling the muscles that were so hidden from the rest of the world. The fact that his face was equally as flushed as hers only made her more satisfied.

Then it all came crashing down as the reality of what she just did hit her full force.

"Oh gods!" her blush multiplied in intensity as she hid her face behind her hands, rolling off of him and turning away. "I-I'm so sorry! I took things way too far!" she complained, voice muffled by her hands.

Naofumi was still recovering from the exchange himself, but he was on high alert now that something was wrong. "Raphtalia? Hey, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, still facing away from him. "I shouldn't have done that! That was so selfish of me! Just because I knew I wouldn't get pregnant, I thought it was okay!? I'm ashamed of myself!" she whined, tail curled between her legs in anguish.

Naofumi gently shook her shoulder. "Raph, hey, it's alright." he coaxed her to calm down, but she continued sobbing. After a few more attempts, he sighed and laid down beside her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"I-I...liked it, Raphtalia...I liked doing that w-with you..." he stuttered, blush returning. "Why do you think it was selfish?"

She curled in tighter on herself. "Because I've wanted to do that for months!" she exclaimed, prying his arms off of herself before turning and cupping his face in her hands. Through teary eyes she spoke. "I-I wasn't sure at first, back when I was little and just a slave girl..." The two of them both frowned at the memory of how they were forced to meet, but then she smiled. "But then I came to realize how much I loved being with you. You're kind, smart, strong, and you've been there for me when I really needed it most."

His eyes were wide and his heart pounded in his chest as the woman's face was inches from his own. "Raphtalia...are you saying what I think you're saying?..."

She nodded, blinking away more tears. "Yes. Naofumi..." she trailed off, kissing him once more on the lips before pulling away with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"_I love you."_


	14. Chapter 15

**Oh lawd he comin'.**

**A few notes before I get started with the chapter!**

**I want to say thank you to everyone who's read the story, especially those from the very beginning about a year ago. It's been quite the literary adventure for me, and I hope that the way I take the story continues (or just begins) to keep your interest. Your comments, reviews, and PMs all mean the world to me and I'm more than happy to reply.**

**Seems like nobody was upset about the slightly-lewd portions of the previous chapter. I don't plan to go super into that simply because I'm not a hentai writer and I don't want to write a full-on lemon. Trust me, I tried once and I felt horribly awkward.**

**I'm glad everyone sees my version of Ren in a good light! He always struck me as the most logical of the heroes, so it made sense that he would come around first out of the three. We'll see what happens for him next.**

**For the guest reviewer (please make an account so I can directly message or reply to your reviews!) asking about whether Ren would encounter Wyndia earlier: probably soon****tm****. Oh yes, it's all coming together.**

**To the **_**other**_** guest reviewer (see above for my recommendation) saying that Itsuki's and Motoyasu's argument makes sense: Good! They may be stubborn, but they're not being petty and childish by refusing the alliance. People legitimately **_**died**_** because of Glass, some of whom were somewhat close to those two heroes. I certainly wouldn't be all hunky-dory about teaming up with them knowing they killed people I cared about.**

**Aaaaanyway, big shout out to Allen Blaster for not only reaching over 700 reviews but for giving me help and guidance with keeping things on track for this story. If you're a fan, seriously consider reading his/her own story "Hope of the Shield Hero". I guarantee that you'll enjoy it, as he/she is a fantastic writer!**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech

**As always, feel free to review!**

Naofumi's brain registered several things in the few moments following his awakening.

The first was that he was almost uncomfortably warm, as if he was covered in thick blankets throughout the night. The second was that something was tickling his neck, and that something was pressed onto his chest as he lay on his back. His eyes cracked open and he realized that Raphtalia had fallen asleep on top of him.

Although he blushed at his companion's - or should he say his girlfriend's? He wasn't sure - proximity, the man smiled and gently tightened his arms around her. Unconsciously, she mumbled something in her sleep and leaned into him even further.

'So...that happened.' Naofumi thought, face reddening more by the second as he nuzzled his face into her brown hair. 'I can't believe we did all of that! It was so sudden! Was that the right thing to do!? She was...Raphtalia was my first kiss...' he thought. 'I thought only girls made a big deal out of that, but it felt so...I dunno..._special_.'

The raccoon's grip tightened around his chest, and his breath caught in his throat as he remembered that the two of them were only half-clothed. She was beyond beautiful inside and out, but that wasn't why he loved her. 'She's been the only one I could trust for so long. It's only been a few months really, but it's felt so much longer since I got stuck here by myself. I may have Filo, and Sho to some extent, but the one who's been by my side this whole time is her.' he thought.

Raphtalia moved around slightly, and her tail curled itself up near his chest. He chuckled at her serene face, the same one that she seemed to have every time she was in close contact with him. 'I guess I have something to live for in this world after all. Maybe being stuck here wasn't so bad, all things considered.'

The gentle bounce of his chest made the woman stir, and she clung tighter to him before releasing and cracking her eyes open. "...Master Naofumi? You're already awake?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes but remaining on top of him. He smiled and ran his hand through her hair.

"Only for a few minutes. Did I wake you?"

She shook her head while returning his smile. "It's okay, I'm sure it's getting a bit late anyway. We head back to the mainland today, don't we?" He nodded as she sat upward and stretched her arms above her head. Naofumi had to slightly avert his eyes as her large breasts were accented by the movement.

Whether she was his girlfriend or not, he had never been in such an intimate position with someone before. He was understandably still a bit embarrassed, if his red face was any indication.

"Y-yeah. We board the boat back around midday, and should arrive before nightfall. From there, I guess we'll figure it out as we go."

Raphtalia rolled off of him, face red as well but fixed with a loving smile. "You said the queen asked us to stay in Melromarc for a short while, right?" He nodded and both of their smiles fell. "Are you...going to be okay? I know that place holds a lot of bad memories for you..."

He shook his head, sitting up and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. "I think I'll be okay. _She_ won't be there, so all I have to deal with is the king. Besides, I'll have the queen on my side so it may actually be kind of fun." he managed a weak smile that made her sigh in relief.

"If you say so, Master Naofumi."

He leaned backward and planted a quick kiss on her lips that made them both blush as badly as they had the night before. "You don't have to call me that. Actually scratch that, I _want_ you to call me Naofumi instead."

Any resistance Raphtalia had crumbled with one look at his face, and she smiled. "Has anyone ever told you how adorable you look when you blush?" she teased, only making his face more red.

"N-no." he pouted, looking away and crossing his arms.

She giggled, getting out of bed and running her hands through her hair to rid it of any knots. "Well it's a good look for you. You have a hard time expressing your real feelings, so it makes me happy to see it."

"Y-you're the reason I'm like this in the first place!"

"Even better." she said, making him groan. "We should get ready and meet up with the others though. We never actually checked on Filo and Melty, so who knows what trouble they could have gotten into."

They began getting dressed and Naofumi hummed in thought. "Now that you mention it, those two did seem to get along pretty well. A little _too_ well, if you ask me." He was thankful for the change in topics.

'We may have said we loved each other, but I don't know if I have the courage to ask her what we are right now.' he thought to himself silently. 'It may be better not to put a label on it anyway, so I may as well keep silent about it and just go with the flow.'

She finished dressing herself first, strapping her breastplate on over her clothes and attaching the sword at her waist. "Oh let them be, Naofumi. They're just kids, so let them be kids for a while."

He finished putting his armor back on, but as he grabbed his sword the worn blade snapped in half. "Well, I guess it was on its last legs anyway..." he sighed, allowing it to disappear into his inventory for repairs or raw materials later. "I would let them be kids if it weren't so dangerous at night. Besides, that girl is _her_ sister, so she has to have some ulterior motive."

They gathered their things and exited the room, making their way down the stairs back to their original room. "It is entirely possible that the first princess was the bad egg of the family, you know. Melty seemed genuine when she spoke to us yesterday, and she reminds me of the queen far more than Malty did."

They reached the door marked **013** and he reached for the doorknob with a roll of his eyes. "At this point, I doubt anyone in that family can go a day or two without plotting something."

As he opened the door, he witnessed Filo sleeping on the bed with Melty clinging to her. The girl was in her filolial form, something which the innkeeper told her was not allowed, and the princess was hugging the ball of feathers with a content smile plastered on her face.

Raphtalia nudged her master with her shoulder before laying her head softly upon his own. "Do you still think she's plotting something?" she asked with a smirk that he could _feel_ even if he wasn't looking at her. Somehow he just knew.

His eye twitched before he gently shut the door and moved to exit the inn. "She's just playing the long game, then. We'll know eventually." Raphtalia sighed but followed him, not pursuing the topic further.

Stepping outside, the sun was already high in the sky. The sweltering heat made Naofumi tug at his collar under his armor. "Jeez, it must be getting close to noon already. The only thing I hate about this place is how humid it gets, being so close to the ocean and all. This armor is so stuffy."

Raphtalia was unfazed, taking a deep breath to savor the salty air. "I actually like it. It reminds me a bit of home. Speaking of which," her expression faltered slightly and her tail wilted, "is it okay if we make a quick stop once we get back to the mainland?"

He turned to her with a knowing look. "You want to visit your village, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. I...want to see my parents, if that's okay with you."

Naofumi grasped her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Believe it or not, the queen actually still thinks she owes me. I'm sure she'll let us stop by there for a short time on our way." His partner's tail wagged happily as she smiled lovingly at him.

"Thank you." It was a simple and earnest reply.

The two shared a breakfast composed of an assortment of grilled fish and a few vegetables. Since their homes were fairly close to the ocean, they both felt that it reminded them of home. Naofumi and Raphtalia shared more about their lives before they had met, thinking it long overdue.

From activities they enjoyed as children to the way they were raised, very few subjects were left uncovered. Naofumi was reluctant to bring up her parents since the way they died was traumatic enough, and Raphtalia easily noticed him skirting around that topic. Although she never said it aloud, she appreciated his tactfulness.

Time flew by as they ate, laughed, and smiled together about how different things were. But no matter how crazy the world became, from waves of monsters to interdimensional alliances, they would have each other to rely on. Before they knew it, it was nearly time to board the boat to leave Cal Mira, possibly for good.

The duo went back to wake Filo and hopefully find Sho, who had mysteriously disappeared and not shown himself all morning. As they opened the girl's door, the two were still fast asleep. Naofumi rolled his eyes.

"It's already past noon and the ship is waiting on us. Get up." he said, nudging the bird with his arm. Raphtalia sighed.

"You could at least be a little more gentle." she chided, walking over and shaking the princess's shoulder. "Princess Melty? It's time for us to leave. You need to wake up now."

The bluenette groaned as she clutched Filo's feathers tighter. "Just ten more minutes, mama..." she mumbled, still mostly asleep.

Naofumi knew the easiest way to wake Filo was food, so he sorted through his inventory and pulled out leftovers from his breakfast. He figured something like this might happen, so he had ordered more than he needed and saved the rest. The result was almost immediate, and the filolial cracked her eyes open within seconds.

"Mmmm...Master, what smells so good?" she murmured before yawning.

He held the plate of food in his hand, rolling his eyes. "Breakfast. We have to get on the boat or they'll leave us behind. Hurry up."

The bird's eyes shot open as she excitedly swallowed the entire meal in moments, plate and all. Naofumi cradled his hand which had the plate suddenly stolen from its grip. Filo sighed happily.

"That was delicious! Time to get up Mel-chan!" she shook her left wing, rousing the girl from her rest. Melty groaned but rubbed her eyes as she regained consciousness.

"Filo-chan, what's wrong?"

"Master says it's time to wake up or the boat will leave without us!"

The princess finally opened her eyes to see Naofumi's aggravated expression and Raphtalia's sympathetic one. Realizing her position, she shot awake, stood, and smoothed out her skirt. "I-I apologize if I've delayed our departure at all." she said, bowing.

Naofumi rolled his eyes again. "Whatever. Let's just get on the boat so we can leave. Your mother is probably worried about where you went off to."

Raphtalia and Melty both noted the way he seemed concerned even if he tried his best not to be, and they smiled at him. "Right. C'mon Filo-chan, let's go." the girl said.

"Okay!" Filo said, transforming back into her human form and following them as they left.

After checking out of the inn room, they started their trek back to the ship to leave the island. Melty awkwardly walked with them, even as Filo tried making idle conversation. Raphtalia, noticing this, turned to her master.

"Naofumi, you could try to make her feel more comfortable with us. Look how nervous she is." the woman said. The hero shook his head.

"There's no reason to make her feel welcome. She's a princess, so she'll probably never see us again after we're done in Melromarc. I don't exactly feel like staying there for long." he replied, quietly enough that the others wouldn't hear him.

Raphtalia sighed weakly. "Just...try to be a bit nicer to her? She may be a princess, but she's just a little girl who's done nothing wrong to us. Being mad at her for being born to a family of nobles isn't very fair."

He groaned. "Fine. I won't go out of my way, but I'm not going to yell at her or anything."

"Small steps Naofumi...small steps..." she said more to herself than anyone else.

It wasn't long before they reached the docks. Sho was already waiting for them to arrive, arms crossed and standing silently away from the people boarding the ship. He approached them. 

"Ready to go?" he asked. "Humans so lazy, so slow. Could have left hours ago."

Naofumi would have given a retort, but remembering how he woke up that morning made him more than happy to sleep in. He shrugged and walked up the ramp to the boat. "Sleep is necessary for keeping yourself in good shape to fight. Give me a bit of a break."

The orc rolled his eyes but followed the group onto the vessel.

Their trip back began shortly after they got on the boat, and Naofumi decided to get to work. With several hours to work with, he decided to improve his crafting skills. He sat down in a vacant room with his tools, and Raphtalia joined him. Filo ran off with Melty to explore the ship and find something to do, and Sho vanished as he usually did.

"So what are you going to work on, Naofumi?" the raccoon asked, sitting on a nearby stool. Her tail swished back and forth in interest as she cocked her head to the side.

He scratched his head. "Well I want to get a bit better at crafting medicines at some point, but we don't have a lot of herbs to work with. I could try improving my blacksmithing and repair some of our gear, but-" he cut himself off with a look of realization and a facepalm.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed into his hand. "I totally forgot to make that piece of jewelry for Therese before she left."

Raphtalia gave him a sad smile. "I'm sure she won't mind if it's a bit late. You can always give it to her when we see her again."

"I guess." he withdrew the bag of materials from his inventory along with a miniature set of bellows. He wasn't sure if he should be starting a fire on a wooden boat, but he was confident that he could safely do his work without any harm. He had an idea and he smiled. "Hey Raphtalia, do you want to help?"

She jumped slightly and her ears perked up. "M-me? But I have no idea how these are even made." she said, looking down at the bracelet on her wrist. "I feel like I'd only get in your way..." her ears wilted.

Naofumi chuckled. "Not at all! It's actually a lot easier than I expected it to be the first time. Come here, I'll teach you."

The raccoon knelt down beside him as her tail refused to sit still, and she was forced to hold it with her hands to prevent it from knocking anything over on accident. "O-okay! What should we do first?"

The next few hours passed fairly quickly, but to Raphtalia they seemed to drag on forever. Every time the man would have her do one of the steps herself, she would panic and her hands would shake. The fact that the materials were so valuable made her nervous. However, as soon as Naofumi would place his hands on top of her own to guide her movements she would instantly calm down.

She wasn't sure if it was love or simply the happiness that radiated from him, but she found herself enjoying the experience.

Before long, they had completed a bracelet not too different from the one Raphtalia wore. It was encrusted with hiddenite gems with a single, star shaped alexandrite gem in the center. The band was made of platinum which gave off a lustrous shine.

Raphtalia held the accessory in her hands with sparkles in her eyes. "Naofumi, look! Look how well it turned out! I can't believe it!"

The hero inspected it with calculating eyes. "Huh...I guess absorbing a bunch of those extra gemstones and unlocking the Expert Jewelcrafting skill made a difference after all." He took it and continued looking for imperfections. "This turned out even better than I expected."

"I'm sure Therese will love it!" Raphtalia said, holding her master's hands with her own, the **Alexandrite Bangle** between them. She blushed slightly, but leaned forward and pecked a kiss onto his cheek. He held his cheek with his hand, looking at her with a slight amount of confusion.

"N-not that I didn't like it or anything, but what was that for?" he asked. Raphtalia giggled.

"For letting me help make it. You really didn't have to."

"I wanted to. Besides, what else were you planning on doing if I made it myself?"

She looked away with a bashful smile. "I...would have probably just sat here and watched."

He patted her head between her ears, earning himself a pout. "Hence the reason why I asked you to help. It was more fun that way, anyway. Plus, I've always heard that the best way to learn is to teach someone else."

"I guess so..." Raphtalia stood up. "I'm going to go wander around and see what Filo and Melty are up to. What will you do for the rest of the trip?"

He mentally weighed his options. The raccoon had to admit that his thinking face was adorable despite his rough features. "Hmm...I'm still feeling a little exhausted so I think I may take a nap. If we're going to be with the queen for the entire ride back to Melromarc, I doubt I'll be comfortable enough to get any rest."

"Oh, okay." She blinked. "Just don't sleep too much or you'll mess up your sleep schedule and won't be able to sleep tomorrow." The woman leaned down and gave him a parting kiss before making her way to the deck of the ship.

She would never know that Naofumi barely got any sleep once she left, too busy reliving that moment over and over in his head.

Opening a door brought Raphtalia to the deck. The sun was just beginning to turn a darker shade of orange and the scent of seawater filled her nostrils. Using her hand to keep her hair from whipping in her face from the wind, she approached the railing on the port side of the ship.

Staring out at the waves, she felt at peace. 'Naofumi and I...finally are together.' she thought. 'In reality there's nothing really different about how we act together, but there's that way his eyes shine when he looks at me. It just makes me feel so...wanted.'

Leaning against the railing, the raccoon pondered. 'But what do we do from here? We can't really settle down with the Waves still hitting us and all, so I guess our goal is the same?'

"You're pretty deep in thought. Something on your mind?"

Raphtalia turned to see Ren beside her. She smiled at him. "I didn't realize you were here, Ren. How are you handling the seasickness?"

He shook his head. "A bit of wine from Armalis helped, but I'm just trying not to think about it."

She giggled. "That's not really a good habit to start, you know. She seems to enjoy teasing you."

He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Don't remind me. I almost regret bringing her with us, but she's dependable. After I lost most of my other companions in the last Wave, I had to pick people I could rely on rather than their skills. Anyway, you never answered my question."

Raphtalia blushed slightly with a gulp. "W-well...there have been some recent..._developments_ in my relationship with M-Naofumi, and I'm just unsure of where to go from here."

Ren blushed as well, coughing into his hand. "U-umm, well...congratulations, I guess."

"T-thank you."

"But if you're wondering how to take another step, I probably wouldn't be the right person to ask." he said, lowering his gaze to the deck.

"You've never been in a relationship either?" she asked, ears perked up in interest. "That's surprising. You seem like the calm type that lots of women would be attracted to."

His blush darkened. "W-well...I've never really seen a need for something like that for myself. Even before all of _this_," he used his hand to gesture broadly, "I never felt like it was necessary."

Raphtalia giggled at him, brushing a lock of errant hair out of her face. "Maybe you're just not ready for it yet, then. But in all honesty, I was wondering how this barely changes anything between Naofumi and I."

At his silence she continued. "It's not like we have to do _those_ kinds of things all the time, especially not in public, but we don't really have time for being happy together. The Waves aren't going to end themselves, so we can't relax."

Ren shook his head. "Actually, I think you're looking at it the wrong way."

"Huh?"

"I mean you're thinking too long-term." He smiled at her. "It's _because_ the Waves aren't going to just stop happening that you need to enjoy the little moments while you can. As we've all learned by now, every day is uncertain. You should appreciate the time you have with him, savor the small things. Terrible as it sounds, there's a chance one of you will die unexpectedly."

The raccoon frowned. 'What would happen if he _did_ die? Where would I go?...' she thought. She was so stuck in her own mind that she didn't hear the hero's parting remark or his footsteps as he left. She shook her head. 'No, I can't think like that! It's my job to make sure he survives! We watch each other's backs and we'll all stay alive, that's what he told me!'

Her gaze wandered back to the door leading below decks. 'Still...I can't help but be worried...'

Soon enough, the boat landed on the mainland shore. Naofumi must have been more tired than he thought, since he actually slept the whole rest of the ride there. Raphtalia had gone back to the room to see him snoring with a book over his face. She ingrained the sight into her memories for later before gently shaking him awake.

"Naofumi..." she coaxed with another shake of his shoulder. "Naofumi, it's time to wake up. We made it to the shore." He shifted slightly before pulling the book off of his face and looking at her.

"Hnng, already?" he groaned with a raspy voice. "How long was I out?"

"Long enough, apparently. Filo and Sho are with the queen right now. They're waiting for us."

He sat upward and stretched to relieve his tired muscles. "Well, we'd better get going. We still have to try to convince her to stop at your village along the way, so being late isn't going to help our argument."

"Right." She nodded at him, and they left.

The duo walked side by side as they disembarked the vessel. Occasionally their hands would brush the other's and the two would smile at each other with a blush. As soon as they left the docks and got back into the market square, they met up with the remainder of their party.

"About time you two got here! It feels like we've been waiting foreverrrr!" Filo whined, running up to them and pouting. "Queenie says I get to pull the carriage back to the city! Did you hear that!? I get to pull a carriage!" she said while jumping up and down in excitement.

Naofumi raised his eyebrows. "You're that excited about pulling some carriage? It just sounds like work to me."

Raphtalia shrugged. "Well...you remember how I told you that they love pulling carriages? For whatever reason, they actually start to get depressed if they _don't_ have one to pull."

He gave her a confused look. "It's that bad? How has she managed to be fine this whole time, then?"

The two shared a shrug before looking at Filo, who was too busy dancing around Melty in her excitement to pay attention to them. Sho watched the two girls with subdued interest, before turning his attention to the adults of the group.

"No-foomi." he said with a salute. "Must return to Chief with important news. Will find you again after."

Naofumi scratched his head. "How exactly do you plan on finding us later? The world's a big place."

"You will be with queen, yes?"

Raphtalia shook her head. "I...don't think we'll be sticking around Melromarc for long. Just long enough to finish our business and be on our way."

"Hmm..." the orc grunted, walking over to Filo. "Give feather." he requested.

"Huh? Why!?" the girl asked.

"Bird has certain scent. Orcs use wolves for tracking and hunting prey. Can use feather to find you."

Filo was reluctant about being compared to prey, but she complied by transforming and plucking a single feather from her body and handing it to him. Sho put it in his belt. "Will return soon. Be safe." he said, before beginning his trek past Siltvelt to the location of the clan's new home.

Naofumi was approached by the queen. "Lord Naofumi. Are you ready to leave? It is still a full day's carriage ride back to the capital, so we will be going overnight."

He turned to her. "Actually, I was hoping we could stop somewhere along the way. It's important." His short tone was not lost on her, and the queen sighed.

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

"Yes. I'll be going there with or without your assistance, so unless you want to wait a week for me to be in Melromarc..." he trailed off meaningfully.

"Very well. I...suppose we can make a small detour for a short time." Mirellia said, rubbing her forehead to prevent a migraine. "Just please be sure to be quick while we're...wherever you're going. Where are you taking us anyway?" she asked.

Naofumi pointed a thumb at Raphtalia. "Her old village back before it got destroyed. We're going to visit her parents' graves."

Mirellia closed her eyes for a moment in sympathy. "You have my condolences for your loss, Miss Raphtalia."

The raccoon waved her hands in front of her in panic. "Oh no, that's not necessary! Just Raphtalia is fine, Your Majesty."

A knight walked up and knelt beside the queen. "Your Majesty. The others have gone on ahead. We may leave whenever you wish."

"Wonderful. Let us be off, then."

WIth that, they boarded the extravagant carriage. It had exotic furnishings and a more advanced design than the majority of carriages Naofumi had seen in this world so far. Filo ran to the front and hooked herself up to the front of the vehicle before chirping happily. Naofumi sat beside Raphtalia, across from the queen and her daughter.

A few knights and a Shadow were also inside the carriage, with one giving Filo directions whenever necessary. From this direction, Raphtalia didn't know the exact path to her old village, but she hoped that she would remember a few landmarks as they got closer to Melromarc.

The carriage ride was much smoother than the man expected, with only a few major bumps along the way to interrupt the awkward tension inside. Naofumi did his best to busy himself with searching his menu for anything worth reading, but came up short after only a few minutes. Raphtalia was stiff as a board beside him, nervous being in front of human royalty.

Mirellia decided to do what she could to ease the tension in the room. "Raphtalia."

"Y-yes?" she jumped slightly in response.

"No need to be so nervous, I don't bite." The queen's soft smile helped calm her nerves slightly. "I just couldn't help but notice that your hand has been lingering on Lord Naofumi's this whole time."

"Huh!?" The raccoon's head snapped downward to see that her hand was, in fact, clutching her master's own hand loosely. She blushed. "It-it's not-!"

Mirellia giggled softly. "Relax. I've been young and in love before too, you know. Even Melty here has had a childhood crush or two. Isn't that right, dear?" she looked down to her daughter, whose blush rivaled the raccoon's

"M-mother!" she cried in alarm.

"Haha! No need to be so uptight, Melty. You'll find a man worthy of you soon enough. Though I must admit, Lord Naofumi seems to be quite the catch, is he not?"

"I-I barely know anything about him! Besides, if he and Miss Raphtalia are in love then that would be wrong!" the bluenette exclaimed.

Mirellia put on a fake pout. "How unfortunate. And I was going to offer your hand in marriage as forgiveness for your father's and sister's misdeeds." She sighed in an exaggerated fashion. "Well, I suppose it isn't _off_ the table for now."

"I may be looking through my status menu, but I can still hear your conversation you know." he cut in before either Melty or Raphtalia could dispute the idea.

"Of course, but you hadn't said anything for quite some time so I decided to test it." the queen said, adjusting herself to get a bit more comfortable. "Though about my proposal-"

"No."

Melty face-faulted at the instantaneous response. Even though she didn't necessarily want to be in a relationship with the man, the fact that he outright denied the possibility with no hesitation whatsoever was insulting!

"Surely I could persuade you-" the queen started.

"I said no, and that's the end of it. I love Raphtalia and I probably always will. Let her go off and marry a noble kid that would at least give you bargaining power in trade, or something."

"Quite the planner, I see. I would never do such a thing to my precious - and now my only - daughter. Melty will be free to choose whoever she wants as her husband, whether it be a prince or a beggar. Though I would give my honest opinion when necessary."

Melty blushed hotly as the conversation revolved further around her. "M-might I suggest speaking about something else, please!?"

"Ohoh? Is my daughter embarrassed to talk about boys in front of her mother?" Mirellia teased with a smirk. Raphtalia looked down with sad eyes as the royal family members acted more like a regular family than monarchs.

Naofumi noticed her despondent look and squeezed her hand. "Hey, you okay?" he whispered. She squeezed back.

"It's a little hard to watch a normal family. I don't have a family aside from you and Filo now, so being reminded of never getting those experiences again can be difficult." the raccoon mumbled back.

"Ah, that reminds me." Mirellia interrupted. "I had that request of yours lined up and ready to go, Lord Naofumi. It should be prepared by the time you leave the capital."

"Request?" Raphtalia looked to her master who smiled.

"Nothing for you to worry about. Just trust me on this one, okay?"

"O-okay..."

After a few hours of relatively silent travel, interrupted occasionally by the knight at the front giving the overly happy Filo directions, they arrived in what appeared to be a ruined village. The only sound that could be heard was the crashing of the ocean waves against the shore, and there was not a living thing in sight.

"This is it..." the raccoon said as they left the carriage. "This was my home. How long has it been since I've seen it in person?..."

Naofumi followed her as she wandered through the destroyed buildings and into the center, where a torn flag was half-buried under some rubble. She plucked it out, being careful not to tear it further, before her breath caught in her throat. The man put his hand on her shoulder as she sobbed, and held her tightly as Raphtalia buried her face into his chest and burst into tears.

He allowed her to release her sorrows into his clothes as he gently stroked her back soothingly. Naofumi had no experience with comforting someone for this type of situation, so he opted to stay silent. It took several minutes before the raccoon was done lamenting, and she wiped the last remnants of tears from her eyes.

"Thank you, Naofumi."

"Don't mention it."

She led him by the hand toward the edge of the village. A short trek through the woods revealed a cliff that overlooked the ocean, and sitting at the very edge of the cliff was a single tombstone.

'This must be where she buried her parents.' he thought to himself, allowing her to walk in front of him. 'She deserves a bit of time to herself. I can't even imagine going through what she did. That's probably worse than what I dealt with.'

Raphtalia brushed some errant dirt off of the top of the gravestone, smiling softly. "Hey mom, hey dad." she said out loud. Not wanting to intrude on the moment, Naofumi turned toward the ocean and busied himself with counting the waves one at a time. However, he couldn't help but overhear the woman's one-sided conversation.

"It's been...a little crazy since I was last here. I was a slave to a few different people, and although some weren't so bad, there was one who was awful. Idol Rabier was his name." she grit her teeth at the painful reminder. "I was lucky I got out of there as soon as I did. Keel and some of the others may still be there, but I have no idea where I was. Rifana...didn't make it."

Silence ensued as she calmed her nerves. "But now I have Naofumi. Technically I'm still a slave, but he never once treated me like one." Raphtalia smiled, glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. "You would like him, I think. You told me about how the Shield Hero saved the demi-humans from extinction, and that he protected us with all of his strength. It turns out you were right."

"He's kept me safe ever since we met, even at great cost to himself. He gave me a new purpose and the means to work toward it. And somewhere along the line...I fell in love with him. He's right here, so I'll let you meet him." she said, standing and walking over to her master before tugging at his hand. He didn't resist, allowing himself to be pulled toward the grave.

"Mom, dad, this is Naofumi. He's the Shield Hero, and the man that I love. Go ahead and introduce yourself, Naofumi."

If he had any thoughts about how strange it was to introduce himself to the dead, he kept them to himself. If it was important to Raphtalia for him to meet her parents beyond the veil of life and death, he would do whatever made her happy.

"Uh, hi." he started, scratching the back of his head. "I'm Iwatani Naofumi, and I guess you already knew I'm the Shield Hero." He chuckled awkwardly, unsure if he was going about this the right way. "I'm sorry we didn't get to meet on better terms, but I promise that I'll do everything that I can to protect your daughter."

His momentum allowed him to continue. "She's a handful sometimes, but I'm beyond lucky to have met her. And now more than ever, I can say that I love her without any hesitation. I...wish I could have met you both while you were alive, but I hope this will suffice."

He mumbled a few things under his breath that Raphtalia, even with her superior hearing, couldn't make out. However, after he was done he smiled at her. "I think that's all I had to say. How do you feel?" he asked.

The raccoon smiled before wrapping him in a hug. "Thank you for coming with me, and for taking us out of your way to meet them. I know it's a bit silly, but I feel like I needed this."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Raph. You would have done the same for me."

"You're right. Shall we head on back? I don't want the queen and the knights to wait on us for too long. It's nearly midnight."

They proceeded to walk hand-in-hand back to the carriage to see everyone ready to leave. Raphtalia apologized profusely for the inconvenience, but Mirellia was adamant in saying that it was fine. The village wasn't far from the main road, so it wasn't much of a detour and they didn't take much time.

Filo, content with pulling the carriage, remained up front while many of the others slept. The queen allowed the knights to rest in shifts, and Melty had already fallen asleep against her mother's shoulder. Raphtalia soon did the same against Naofumi's shoulder.

This left Naofumi and Mirellia as the two people who were awake, but the queen could be seen dozing off here and there. After the tenth or eleventh time - he actually bothered to count - that her head fell forward and she forced it back up to stay awake, the man had seen enough. Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out a soft blanket and held it out to her.

"Here."

She gave him a confused look. He shook it.

"Just take it. You're obviously tired, and it's not like I'm going to try anything funny. You need rest just as much as everyone else."

She took it, but fixed him with a skeptical look. "Although I appreciate it, what about yourself?"

He shook his head. "I slept more than enough on the boat, so I'm wide awake. Besides, I'm sure your knights would feel more comfortable knowing the Shield Hero was essentially on watch with them."

Mirellia looked to the knight currently on watch, a middle-aged man with bags under his eyes, and he reluctantly nodded. She sighed. "Very well, then. You have my gratitude for your generosity."

"Don't worry about it."

She draped the blanket over her and Melty, who gently grabbed the fabric and pulled it tighter to herself. Before long, mother and daughter had fallen asleep beside one another. The knight smiled at Naofumi.

"Thank you, Shield Hero." he said, holding onto a railing for support whenever they hit a large bump. "Her Majesty tends to worry so much she forgets to sleep until long into the night, so I think this would help her greatly. She's too proud to admit that, though."

Naofumi snorted. "I thought all royalty was like that?"

The man shook his head. "The queen is...unique, I'd say, among nobles."

"You can say that again..."

The rest of the ride went by in relative silence. Naofumi would occasionally socialize with whoever was on watch, but it was usually limited to introductions and small talk about this and that. Getting more perspectives on what was happening around the kingdom after his summoning was a nice change of pace, and Naofumi came to respect the queen just a little bit more for her efforts in aiding him from behind the scenes when she could.

The sun broke free of the horizon as the capital came into view. Through the window beside him, Naofumi could almost appreciate the view. However, he knew that darkness hides beneath the pleasant exterior of Melromarc. As far as he knew, the people of the city still hated him with a passion and would possibly attack him on sight for being near the queen.

"Open the gates! Her Majesty has returned!" shouted a guard. Another man on top of the castle walls cranked a wheel that forced the gates open. The carriage, pulled by one large and majestic filolial, entered the city streets with a path straight to the castle. It only took a few minutes for them to arrive at the castle gates with a similar ceremony.

They parked the carriage and disembarked. Mirellia turned to them. "I suppose I should formally welcome you to Melromarc, Lord Naofumi, Miss Raphtalia, Miss Filo. I know your previous visit here was not very pleasant, but I hope that I can be a suitable host."

He shook his head. "No need. We have things we need to get done in the city before anything else, and we'll probably just find a room at an inn somewhere quiet."

Mirellia sighed. "At this point, I should be thankful you even came with us. I will send a messenger with an update when I have one."

"Fine. Raphtalia, Filo, let's go."

With that, they wandered back through the streets of the one place Naofumi thought he would never return to. Despite how long it had been since his last stay in the human capital, the citizens still glared at him and whispered behind his back. Occasionally, a child would throw a rock or rotten fruit that would bounce harmlessly off of him. Raphtalia was careful not to hold his hand in public, so as to not make his reputation as a demi-human sympathizer worse.

"Umm, Master Naofumi?" she asked, hesitantly.

"What is it?" He replied softly. The raccoon blinked. She had expected him to be much more irritable considering where they were.

"What errands are we running?"

"None, technically. I just wanted to get away from the queen and her schedule. Knowing her, she would have dictated everything about the rest of our day."

"O-oh..." she sweatdropped. "Perhaps we could visit Elhart while we're here? I'm sure he could help us with repairing our gear or getting us newer equipment. If we're going to stay in Melromarc for a few days, it may be a good idea. Besides, I miss him."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "You miss that old man?"

She gave a soft smile. "He gives off a fatherly vibe, so I can't help but be drawn to him." Raphtalia giggled, and her master rolled his eyes.

"What now?"

"I just imagined you as Elhart's child. He would try teaching you how to use the forge and you could barely hold the hammer."

He tried to imagine the same scenario, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image. "Ha, well I'll be sure to tell him that when we see him. We should also stop and get some new clothes. These ones are starting to get a bit worn out."

Since it was closer, they opted to visit the tailor's shop first. The woman looked at them in surprise. "Oh! It's you, Shield Hero! Good to see you again!" She looked to see Raphtalia, who was now older, taller, and more mature. "Goodness! If it isn't my favorite customer! You sure have grown up, young lady!"

Raphtalia smiled at her awkwardly with a wave. "U-um...hello again."

_*gasp*_ "And who is THIS!?" she bent down to look at Filo with shining eyes.

"I'm Filo!"

"Alright alright, enough of that. We need some new clothes. These ones are starting to wear down." Naofumi said, crossing his arms.

"Now now, there's no reason to be rude around your daughter!" the tailor said with a broad smile. "Anyway, what are you looking for?"

They ended up buying more copies of what they already owned. Naofumi didn't want to be around the eccentric woman any longer, so he opted to wait outside while the two girls finished their own shopping. Nearly ten minutes later, Raphtalia walked outside with the remnants of a blush on her face but nothing to show for it. Filo was beside her with a confused look.

"Didn't find anything you liked?" Naofumi asked. His voice made the raccoon jump and her tail stiffen.

"U-umm, not really. They weren't really my style."

The hero hummed, disinterested. "Anyway, let's head to the old man's place. I'm sure he'll give me an earful when he sees Filo, but whatever."

The trio did everything they could to avoid the main roads. Despite the alleys being filled with less-than-friendly people, they were a better alternative to being threatened and used as target practice. Naofumi opened the door to the blacksmith's shop, and a small bell signaled his arrival.

"Welcome to my sh-Oh! Kiddo, it's you! And the missus too!" Elhart exclaimed, immediately dropping the cloth he was using to clean the counter and smiling. He threw a curious glance at Filo, but Naofumi just shook his head in response.

"I see you haven't kicked the bucket yet, eh old man?" the hero said with a smirk. The blacksmith rounded the counter before the two shared a strong handshake and a one-armed hug. "It's been a while."

"Haha, I may be older than you but I'm not about to keel over anytime soon!" he said, glancing at the man's armor. "Oh, look at what you've done to my work! This armor was really special you know!" He began fussing over the dents and scratches that marred the surface, and Naofumi sighed.

"About that, I was thinking it's time for an upgrade."

That got the man's attention. "Oh? Back for a return visit, are ya? Well I can certainly find something to suit you now that you've gained a bunch of levels and gotten loads of coin! Right? _Riiiiiiiiight?_ You still owe me, you know."

Raphtalia giggled as her master flinched. 'Even if he's so strong, Naofumi is still frightened by Elhart somehow.' she thought.

"Anyway, what are you all looking for? You look like hell, ya do."

Naofumi took a quick look around. "Well, we're all about level 72, so the equipment we've been using was outdated a while ago. We were lucky to get some new things in Siltvelt, but even that only lasted for so long. I've got a ton of materials if you want to try making something to order again."

"How long will you be here for? It might take a few days." Elhart said, walking back to the counter to check his order schedule.

The hero dropped a massive bag on the floor with a resounding *thud* that made the older man jump. "We'll probably be here for two or three days tops, so if you can manage that, we'll take whatever you want to make. No restrictions other than to keep the armor from being too bulky."

Elhart's eyes were wide, and he reached down to look into the bag. What he saw made him sputter. "Wh-what the hell are these, boy!? Are these-"

"Dragon bones and scales, yeah."

"Where the hell...?"

"Don't ask. Can you use them? I figure they'd make for some strong armor or weapons at least. You'd know better than I do about what to use for what, so I'll leave the hard part for you. Just make sure Raphtalia gets a nice sword; hers is starting to fall apart and I can't seem to repair it well myself."

Elhart raised an eyebrow. "You're into smithing too now?"

"Among other things. I learned how to make enchanted jewelry, so that's something." Naofumi said, showing off his necklace. He had used the necklace his brother bought him as a mold in order to create a brand new one out of pure gold that shines brilliantly. It wasn't the most appealing piece, being a golden sword and shield, but the emerald in the center of the shield was reminiscent of the shield stuck to his arm.

The blacksmith inspected it. "That's mighty fine craftsmanship you got there, kiddo. If you start making work like this, I might go out of business!" he laughed, clapping a hand on the man's shoulder. "Anyway, I'll make you the best damn weapons and armor I can with these. What's your budget?"

Naofumi counted fifty gold coins and dropped them on the table. The smith's eyes bugged as he looked between the hero and the stack of shining coins. "What have you been _up_ to since you left?"

"Just getting into trouble everywhere I go. You know how it is with me. Just get the job done and we'll be back in a few days to pick them up."

"Stay out of trouble, kiddo. Or try to, anyway."

"Knowing my luck? No promises."

With that, the trio left Elhart's shop in search of food. It was getting to be midday, so they were hungry. They would have gone to the nicer restaurant that Naofumi and Raphtalia had gone to before the first wave, but they didn't allow children. Filo, having the appearance of a young girl, pouted at their denial of her entry. Too hungry and tired to deal with the hassle, Naofumi decided they would go elsewhere.

After a relatively cheap and unexciting lunch, they were stopped by a young knight. "U-um Lord Shield Hero, sir?" he said, obviously nervous.

"What is it?" Naofumi asked.

"H-her Majesty, umm, wishes for you to return to the castle as soon as possible to begin the trial against the king!"

"A trial?" he raised an eyebrow. "What does she think that'll accomplish?.." he mumbled to himself.

Raphtalia sent him a smile. "We should probably go anyway. She wouldn't do all of this without a plan."

The young man looked like he was sweating horribly under his helmet, and Naofumi felt the slightest bit of sympathy for him. The queen could probably be a slave driver if she wanted to be. "Fine, let's just go. Lead the way, I guess." he relented.

"T-thank you! Right this way!" The knight took them back to the castle throne room. Upon opening the door, they were met with not only the queen but also a massive number of nobles on the sides of the room. Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu stood off to the side, and Melty was standing right beside her mother's throne.

Even still, Naofumi could hear the whispering nobles and it drove him mad.

"The prosecution has entered!" Mirellia announced, making Naofumi and his companions look around in shock. They were led by the young knight to the center of the room before he left them with a nervous smile.

"What exactly are you getting at here?" Naofumi asked, crossing his arms. "You barely gave me any warning and you already have this whole thing set up?"

With an authoritative voice, the queen responded. "I understand that you have business to take care of, so I wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible."

"Whatever."

Mirellia cleared her throat. "Bring him in!" she shouted.

The doors opened once more to reveal King Aultcray bound in metal handcuffs. He was still dressed in his royal robes, but he seemed much more disheveled than usual. When his eyes landed on the Shield Hero, he panicked.

The whispering quickly became much louder.

"We will now begin the trial of the foolish king consort."

The crowd erupted into confused chatter as the king was led to a podium in the center of the room, behind Naofumi and his party. "This trial seeks to punish the one responsible for shaking this country to its core, and I, the queen, am its judge and executor."

An aide brought a familiar brush and pot of ink to the queen's side. Mirellia pricked her finger with a knife, allowing the blood to drip into the mixture. "To ensure a fair trial, we will place a temporary slave crest upon him."

The aide ripped open the man's robe and painted the symbol onto his chest. It burned into his skin, but he merely grit his teeth until the pain subsided.

"You stand accused of conspiring with the church against the good of the country by summoning all four Cardinal Heroes, as well as discriminating against the Shield Hero."

She continued as the nobles went silent. "This act alone could be considered treason, for it endangers our relationship with our neighbors during a time where standing together is our only hope for survival. Though our kingdom is powerful, it cannot hope to stand against the Calamity by itself."

"B-but I was just concerned for the kingdom, my queen! The Waves had already begun, and none of the other countries had performed the summoning ritual themselves! Were we supposed to stand idle while we could have done something!?" Aultcray asked. The slave crest didn't activate.

"Then why summon all four of us? Surely you could have summoned one like you were supposed to, and focus your efforts on that hero alone." Ren asked, hand in his pocket. "That would have made the most logical sense: strengthen one hero so you don't even need the other three. That would have also prevented you from running afoul of the treaty."

The king flinched. "There was no guarantee that the one hero we summoned would have been adequate despite our best efforts. I made the decision to bring all four of you to this world in order to defend it whether it started here in Melromarc or any other country!"

The crest still did not activate. The man was telling the truth.

"Enough!" the queen shouted, silencing the room once more. "Regardless of reason, you have put our country in a dangerous position. The King of Faubley refuses to aid us, Shieldfreeden has turned a blind eye and the demi-humans of Siltvelt will not raise a single finger to our aid because of your actions! You even accused the Shield Hero of false charges without evidence!"

"But there was evidence! Our own daughter said so!"

"And did you check before allowing her to run rampant? Did you make any effort into validating her claims before falling prey to her whimsical desires? You always were a doting father, but Malty took advantage of you on many occasions. You and I were both aware that she was a pathological liar, and it was for that reason that I stripped her of the title of heir to the throne."

Aultcray grit his teeth, looking down toward the carpeted floor. "Please...do not speak of her with such anger." He sighed. "Whether she was in the right or not, she is no longer with us. I beg of you to honor her memory."

"That's bullshit and you know it." Naofumi cut in, shocking everyone present except Mirellia. "She frames me for rape, which might I add never even happened, and you just took her word for it with pathetically little proof. Then you proceeded to kidnap me and my partner in the _middle of the street_, lock us up and _torture me_ for no good reason!"

"You killed the jailor!" the king shot back.

"And he would have killed me too if you had let him!" Naofumi was fuming. "I came back here because she," he pointed to the queen, "wanted me to! It was so terrible to live here because of you that I never wanted to come back!"

"We never would have summoned you if we didn't need you! The demi-humans can keep you for all I care! You're here now, aren't you!?"

"Silence!" Mirellia's voice cut through the hall like a blade. "WIth Malty no longer amongst the living, the blame of her actions can only be pinned on you. You may be my husband, but I do not tolerate insubordination or treason."

She continued after a deep breath. "Aultcray Melromarc XXXII, you are hereby found guilty of high treason and conspiracy, and are sentenced to death!"

The hall burst into surprised chatter and panic.

"She can't be serious!"

"Has Her Majesty lost her mind!?"

"That's her own husband! She's going too far!"

"The execution will begin immediately." Mirellia said before walking away from the throne room and further into the castle. Melty sent her father a concerned look, but followed her mother. Itsuki and Motoyasu shared a look before moving toward the courtyard. Ren approached Naofumi, who looked bored.

"You don't look as happy as I thought you'd be." the Sword Hero said.

Naofumi shook his head. "There's nothing to be happy about. It clears my name, yeah, but I don't even get a chance to get back at him for what he put me through. The bitch was the real one at fault, anyway."

Filo cocked her head to the side. "Master, what's a bi-"

"Don't ask, Filo." Raphtalia cut her off, putting a hand over her mouth.

"It seems to me like the king was just ignorant rather than malicious, aside from his unusual hatred for you being the Shield Hero." Ren said, putting his hand to his chin as they began walking toward the execution courtyard.

The raccoon turned to her master, who had his fists clenched. "Naofumi...are you really going to let her kill her own husband?" she asked, afraid of his response. He grit his teeth for a few seconds before sighing.

"I don't know. I feel like there's more to this than the queen is telling everyone. She doesn't seem like the type with the guts to kill her own family." he replied. "Let's just see what happens." She gave him a concerned look as they continued onward.

Naofumi stood in the upper spectator area of the courtyard, among a mob of nobles and peasants alike who jeered and chanted for the king's death. He narrowed his eyes at their behavior.

'Lemmings, all of them. I doubt a single one of them really cares about what happens to the king, they just want to be faithful to their queen.' he thought, frown appearing on his face. 'Pathetic. This is no different than what the bitch did. It's all just a publicity stunt.'

The queen appeared on a balcony above them along with Melty as the king was forced to his knees at the guillotine. The gallows locked him in place beneath the blade, which looked newly sharpened and excessively deadly. Panic was written on his face, but he didn't struggle as much as one would expect from someone about to be executed.

"We now send this sinner to his death in front of all of our people!" Mirellia shouted, and the crowd went wild. Even Naofumi was a little surprised at how well she riled up the audience with such simple words. The queen raised her hand vertically into a chop. "The criminal will now be beheaded!"

'Naofumi isn't really going to let this happen, is he!?' Raphtalia's eyes flicked between her master and the king in panic. 'There's no time left to stop it!'

The hero locked eyes with the queen from below, and he gave her a challenging stare. 'Do it.' he thought. 'Show us just what you're plotting.'

Mirellia tensed her muscles and prepared to pull something from behind her, but she was cut off.

"I believe that's quite enough of this charade, don't you? Your Majesty."

Walking to the center of the courtyard was none other than the pope himself, carrying what appeared to be a golden copy of the Legendary Spear.


	15. Chapter 16

**We're back.**

**As a random note, I'll try to be a bit more true to the original series with regard to spell names. Rather than 'Greater' I'll go with 'Zweite', for example. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it's more for clarification of ability strength.**

**Tiny trigger warning. Things get a bit rough, so it's earning the M rating here.**

**To GUE, who graciously gave me a name to work with (thank you!): I honestly can't tell if you're angry about me making Glass a killer or not. I personally think it made more sense that she was one, since she's pretty relentless about her ideals regarding weak heroes and such.**

**I received a lot of good feedback about the pope's entrance, which I was concerned about since it's an obvious cliffhanger. I'll try not to leave off on too many of those since they can be annoying when every chapter leaves you without closure.**

**To finish up, we've finally crossed the 1100 favorites mark! I never would have thought anything I wrote could be this popular, so you guys continue to prove me wrong.**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech

**As always, feel free to review!**

Naofumi stared down at the man in robes, holding the oddly shining spear. 'Who the hell is this guy? Some kind of priest?' he thought to himself. 'And what's up with that spear? It looks just like-'

"Pope Biscas Balmus. I was wondering when you'd show yourself. Have you grown tired of manipulating this country from the shadows?" the queen asked, glaring down into the courtyard. All thoughts of executing the king were halted, but he remained in the gallows.

The pope smiled innocently, his aging face showing signs of wrinkles. "Such a bold accusation, my queen, to assume that I am not simply doing God's work. Everything I do is in the name of God."

Naofumi didn't like the look of the man, nor the way the queen obviously disliked him. He leaned to the side to whisper to his companions. "Raphtalia, Filo. Something about this guy doesn't seem right. Be on your guard."

"Right." they replied.

"Your God has isolated our country from the rest of the world, Biscas. You were the one who told King Aultcray to summon all four heroes, am I right?" Mirellia said. All of the knights surrounded the man in the courtyard, but he remained as calm as ever.

"I must say that he is a most devout follower of the faith. God will smile upon him both in life and death for his service."

The king flailed, trying to turn his head to see the religious man. "Balmus! You _knew_ this would happen!?" he demanded angrily.

The pope chuckled. "I knew that you would follow my suggestions to the letter, so yes I did. Queen Mirellia is no fool, and she would find out eventually. But now it's too late for her to change anything."

He raised the golden spear above his head. "God has granted me the power to smite the nonbelievers who dwell within our sacred kingdom! Behold the power I wield in His name!" The spear glowed even brighter, fueled by some kind of power.

"Evacuate the courtyard! Knights, restrain the pope!" Mirellia shouted. The audience members screamed in terror at the frantic command, scurrying away as fast as possible. Naofumi's party leapt over the small railing and landed on the dirt of the courtyard floor. The other three heroes did the same.

As the soldiers attacked him, a barrier appeared around the pope's body that protected him completely. He merely continued smiling. "Your attacks are useless against me, for I am blessed by the almighty God!" His spear was charged with golden electricity, which he swung forward toward the heroes.

"**Brionac!"**

A massive bolt of lightning was launched toward them. Naofumi rushed in front of the others, switching to his strongest shield against magic. The blast struck him hard and his HP dropped to nearly half from that attack alone. He grit his teeth as his feet dug into the dirt.

'Damn, this guy is strong! But how!?' he thought. With a final roar, Naofumi pushed back against the attack and it dissipated into the air. His limbs still spasmed slightly from the electricity.

"You're quite the sturdy one, aren't you Shield Devil?" the pope said with a snide tone. "But no matter. The faithful will be granted victory this day, and the false heroes will be destroyed along with the Shield Devil! This is our holy crusade to save our world!" He raised his hands high into the air as if preaching to a massive audience.

"What the hell is this guy on about?" Ren asked, gripping his sword tightly in his hand.

Itsuki nocked an arrow. "I don't know, but he sounds like a nutjob to me. What's this about 'false heroes'? We're the real heroes!"

"Is that so?" Balmus asked. "Then why has this country fallen further into destruction by your actions?"

"What does he mean? We've been protecting everyone since we got here!" Motoyasu yelled, flourishing his spear and preparing for an attack.

"Is it so hard to understand? Let's start with you, the supposed spear hero. You saved a village from starvation with a magical seedling, yes?"

"Yeah, what about it? How could that possibly be a bad thing!?"

The pope wagged a finger. "Tut tut, but did you stop to consider the warning where the seed was located? Did you know that the seed would grow out of control and infest the entire area? That village is _gone_ because of your actions, and everyone there is dead."

Motoyasu's eyes widened. "No way...I know the seed had a warning, but I thought that was just like any common villain's attempt to keep us away..."

"You had absolutely no idea of how dire the consequences would become, and you walked away without a second thought. Now on to you, 'bow hero'. You led a rebellion against a ruler who was growing too powerful. But have you checked on those people since then? I doubt it."

"The ruler was corrupt and he deserved to be punished, whether it saved those people or not! Their lives were miserable under him!" Itsuki yelled back.

"Ah but how well did you _truly_ know the leaders of that rebellion? I assume you had no idea that the man you put in charge would tax the citizens even worse than the man you defeated. He sought to repair the damage from the rebellion _you_ led, and the only way to raise funds for those repairs was to take excessive amounts from the people. Many of them have died of starvation and infighting."

"You're kidding..." the blond boy grit his teeth in frustration and guilt.

"The sword hero did not have such mistakes. No, his mistake was far worse!" Balmus pointed toward them. "Aiding the Shield Demon and allying with him against the will of God is the worst possible crime! You are no heroes! You are fakes who deserve to be destroyed!"

Naofumi had enough. "If you're so high and mighty, why haven't _you_ helped these people?" He reached for his sword, but his eyes widened as he recalled that it was broken. Without another weapon to use on-hand, he had to play the role of a defender for this fight.

"Your ignorance is understandable, since you have not been enlightened like us faithful ones." Balmus said with a smirk. "God works in mysterious ways, but His plan is absolute. His plan is so much greater than that."

"That still sounds like a load of shit."

"Haaaaaah!" Raphtalia shouted, rushing forward and slashing at the barrier. It stood fast, showing no signs of visible damage.

"**Meteor Shot!"**

She was forced to evade as a lightning-fast bolt of energy struck the shield, cracking it in the center.

"**Meteor Thrust!"**

Motoyasu jabbed his glowing spear forward, shooting a blast of magic toward the shield which shattered it like glass. Small, glowing pieces of the barrier littered the space around him.

"Hoohhh!" Ren roared with a powerful slash. The pope's calm expression faltered, and he was forced to block the blow with his weapon. Bright sparks emanated from the clash, and the pope forced the hero back.

"That took far too much mana. I need to be more careful." He mumbled to himself, before whispering to a man in robes that had entered in behind him. "Tell the followers to focus half of their prayers toward maintaining the barriers."

The man looked unsettled. "But Your Excellence, wouldn't that delay the use of **Judgment** for far too long?"

The pope shook his head. "No. We have enough devoted followers to do both at the same time. This gives these sinners time to reflect on their actions and repent before they are judged."

"Right away, Your Excellence." The man nodded before running back the way he came. Balmus gave a wry smile before turning and walking out of the courtyard and into the fields behind the castle. The heroes tried to give chase, but a massive wall of barriers blocked their path. Every time one was broken, another would quickly take its place.

"Dammit, we can't let him get away!" Ren yelled, looking up to see Mirellia shouting orders to her knights. "Queen! Is there a faster way to get out there?"

"I've got it!" Filo said, transforming into her filolial form. Naofumi and Raphtalia leapt onto her back before she jumped from one balcony to another. This gave her enough height to fly over the walls. The pope had already made a surprising amount of distance away from the courtyard, but there was something else that concerned them much more.

"Holy shit, there's so many of them!" Naofumi said, clenching his fists.

Over the hill behind the castle, there was a small army of hundreds if not thousands of people in church robes. Some kind of golden energy floated away from them in the direction of the castle.

"What are they doing here?" Raphtalia asked.

"No idea, but it probably isn't good. Get us down there, Filo!"

"Right!"

As she landed, the two riders jumped off and readied their weapons for battle. The pope still wore a fairly confident look. "You're tenacious, but rest assured that I will still purify you in the name of God!" Balmus said. With a flash, the spear he was holding became a copy of Ren's own sword.

Naofumi's eyes widened. "How the hell!? Is that thing a Cardinal Weapon!?"

"No, this is something far greater than any of the Cardinal Weapons! God has given the faithful a replica of the very weapons sworn to protect this world, with almost none of the restrictions! This is the true power of a God!"

The pope's blade surged with fire before he swung it downward. **"Phoenix Blade!" **The flames coalesced into the form of a brilliant bird, spreading its wings and flying at high speed toward Naofumi.

"**Air Strike Shield!"**

A spectral shield blocked the attack for only a moment before it broke through, forcing him to defend against it himself. The flames licked at his face but he thankfully avoided being burned. Glancing backward, he yelled. "Filo, go get the others! We'll need them!"

"Okay!"

As soon as the flames subsided, Naofumi knelt to the ground panting for air. He chanced a look upward to see the filolial flying back toward the courtyard and he smirked. "All I have to do is hold you long enough for everyone else to get here. You don't really think you can beat all of us, do you?" he asked.

The pope clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch. It won't matter whether they arrive or not, since you'll be dead long before they do."

"Not if I can help it!" Raphtalia cried, charging forward. **"First Hiding!"**

She vanished from sight as Naofumi readied a spell. "As source of thy power, I order thee: Decipher the laws of nature and blow my target away! **Zweite Tornado!" **A powerful blast of wind hammered against the pope's barriers from all sides. The wind was powerful enough to create a vortex around the man.

Balmus smirked. "Just because I can't see you doesn't mean you can harm me, Devil." His voice didn't reach outside of the cyclone due to the raging wings, but he was confident in his defenses. He was surprised when he saw the slightest glint of light above him, and he was forced to deflect a thrust from Raphtalia's sword.

He grunted as he swiped their locked weapons, throwing Raphtalia into the inner wall of his barrier with a painful slam. Before she could react, he had changed his replica weapon into the bow and fired a magical arrow right into her shoulder. The raccoon yelped in pain, forcing herself to her feet to dodge the next few arrows.

The tornado vanished and Naofumi's eyes widened as he noticed her injured state. "Raphtalia! Jump!"

With a grunt she leapt as high as she could. **"Air Strike Shield!"** She used it as a platform to both block the pope's arrows from below and to escape his barrier. With another leap, the raccoon landed beside her master while wincing.

"How bad is it!?" Naofumi asked, using his shield to deflect a few arrows from Balmus's bow.

She grit her teeth as she ripped the arrow from her shoulder. "Gah! It's not the end of the world, but it hurts!"

His eyes narrowed. Holding a hand toward her he spoke. **"Zweite Heal!"** A warm glow surrounded both his hand and the raccoon before the wound vanished. Raphtalia let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks. I got careless."

He shook his head. "No, he's just a lot tougher than I thought. Damn, if only I had a weapon I could get in there and do something! If I use **Titanic Strength** now it'll leave us wide open!" Naofumi said.

The pope grinned. "In the end, neither of you have the strength to defy God! I will erase you from this world, Devil. You are no longer needed! With the mana of the faithful, I will end you here and now!" He switched back to the spear before holding it high in the air. "You may have survived this once, but can you do it again when it's filled with the mana of two thousand faithful? Let's find out!"

Naofumi raised his shield and motioned for his companion to get behind him.

"**Brionac!"**

Instead of flying straight at him like he expected, Naofumi's eyes widened in surprise as the bolt of lightning instead flew upward before crashing back to the ground.

"Get down!" he shouted in panic. Raphtalia quickly got as close to him as possible and low to the ground.

"**Air Strike Shield! Second Shield! Shield Prison!"** Using the majority of his remaining SP, he created a series of barriers to stop the attack. It instantly shattered the first shield, took a few moments to break the second, and failed to break the final barrier. Despite the **Shield Prison** successfully warding off the attack, Naofumi was panting heavily.

"Are you okay, Naofumi!?" Raphtalia asked, holding him upright as he looked close to passing out. He shook his head.

"That attack is _*huff*_ way stronger _*huff*_ than I thought. I doubt I could take another one of those, and he said he's getting mana from the faithful so he's probably still fresh."

Raphtalia looked toward their opponent, who looked completely unharmed and calm. The only thing signaling anything wrong was the replica weapon smoking, which could be seen from even this distance. "His weapon is where most of his power is, so if we can take that out, we should be able to beat him! If he needs mana to keep the weapon functioning, we need to stop the people from giving him mana!"

Naofumi stood on shaky legs with a grunt. "If anyone is giving him mana, it's probably those people we saw earlier over the hill. But we can't get closer to them ourselves; we need to wait for Ren and the other misfits to get here first!"

Balmus chuckled. "A sound strategy. Or it would be, if my followers were not protected by God himself. Anywhere with such a dense amount of mana is heavily resistant to magic, meaning the only way for you to stop the mana flow is to cut them down by hand. They're not so weak that they would give up on their faith." He gave a dark smirk. "Not only would that truly make you a Devil, but how long would it take you to cut down two thousand men and women?"

The hero grit his teeth. 'He's right, I couldn't possibly hope to stop them all myself. Even with Ren, Itsuki, and even Motoyasu along with Raphtalia and Filo, I don't think we could put a dent in numbers like that before it's too late!' he thought.

Naofumi was forced to block several shockwaves that came from the pope's sword. 'Gotta think of a plan, and fast!'

"Master!"

"Naofumi! Get down!"

All eyes shot upward, where Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu all were on Filo's back. The spear hero was terrified for whatever reason, and he clutched tightly to the bow hero's back. Ren jumped off of Filo with his sword glowing bright.

"**Hundred Swords!"**

With a swing of his sword, a hundred spectral blades rained down upon the pope. The barriers held through the attack, and the man smirked. "Ah, so you all made it after all? Very good. That saves me the trouble of hunting you down myself."

Ren used his free falling momentum to strike with his Greatblade, shattering the barrier and locking blades with the pope. The older man frowned, covering his weapon in fire and forcing the hero to back up to avoid being burned. Raphtalia, who had quickly made her way behind the pope, sliced at his back. With speed completely unexpected from an old man, he spun around parried her strike with surprising strength.

Her hands stung from the flames, and she angled her weapon to the side before planting her feet against the flat side of her opponent's sword and jumping away toward her master. At the same time, Filo landed with the other two heroes.

"Master, we're back! What did I miss?" Filo asked, glaring at their enemy.

Still recovering his breath, Naofumi responded. "He's getting mana from a bunch of people over the hill, and that's probably how he's able to use such strong attacks." He winced, gripping his shield arm. "Dammit, it's starting to go numb. I may only be able to take one more of those big hits before I'm out of SP completely."

Motoyasu and Itsuki stepped forward. "Then get back and let us handle this for now. We can break those barriers with all three of us." the bow hero said.

"If we keep him on the defensive, he won't be able to use any of those attacks." the spear wielder said. "He's just one guy, so he can't defend against all of us!"

Naofumi bit back a retort and begrudgingly complied, backing off and taking a moment to catch his breath. He was forced to watch as his companions fought alongside the other heroes against the pope.

Itsuki kept their opponent pinned with arrows that cracked the barriers surrounding the pope. More would constantly appear in place of the originals, only giving small moments for the group to make an attack at the man himself. He was no slouch in close-range combat, however, nimbly parrying and retaliating with powerful slashes and stabs that were enough to deter any reckless assaults.

The relentless offense continued. Ren summoned the power of the dragon within before unleashing it upon his opponent. **"Dragon Flare!"** he shouted, stabbing his blade into the dirt. From underneath the pope, a column of flames erupted. The white and red flames blinded everyone looking at them, and the intense heat immediately caused them to start sweating.

The inferno soon died down, leaving glowing cinders in a massive circle around Balmus. The man was panting, and the edges of his robe were singed while his hat was missing entirely. "I must admit, I was not expecting an attack of that caliber from you. Especially not a magical one." He changed his weapon back to its spear form. "It seems I will need to deal with you all differently. God has a plan for us all, and I have already foreseen my victory."

"This guy's crazy!" Motoyasu yelled. "Even at our level, he's able to hold us back!? Just what level is he!?"

Naofumi wiped the sweat from his brow as he yelled. "It's gotta be his weapon! It works just like ours do but it's powered by pure mana, so it might not matter what his level is!"

Balmus chuckled at their plight. "Indeed. I may not be as powerful as you are on my own, but with the faith of my followers and this replica I surpass your power three-fold combined!"

"So that's how the barriers are showing up." Ren noted. "The mana from those people is constantly remaking them, and there's so many that we can barely scratch him before another pops up."

"I really must thank you for leaving the kingdom for so long, Shield Devil. Your actions inspired even greater faith in the Church, and nearly tripled the number of followers at my disposal! Had you not left as a criminal and abandoned Melromarc, I may have only had a scarce hundred or so men and women willing to sacrifice their mana to me! These barriers are easily multiple times stronger than they would have been!"

"Damn!" Itsuki narrowed his eyes. "So he really thought that far ahead!? Just how long has he been plotting this?" he said under his breath.

"Naofumi!" Raphtalia shouted, leaping backward toward him. "What should we do?"

The Shield Hero grit his teeth as he weighed their options. "We're not going to last at this rate. Those barriers are too much of a pain to deal with, and we're running out of SP too quickly to keep breaking them. Sooner or later we'll be too weak and tired to keep fighting."

"So what are you saying?"

Naofumi sighed. "I think I'll have to use _that_."

Raphtalia's eyes widened. "Naofumi, no! We promised never to use it! You know what it does to you!" She knelt down and shook his shoulder for emphasis. "I won't let you become a demon!"

"Becoming a demon? The hell? Gah!" Motoyasu looked backward and asked. This was just enough time for him to get blasted by a bolt of lightning from the pope. The man flew backward before skidding across the grass. His body refused to listen to him, and he struggled to stand up. "D-dammit, I only let my guard down for a second!"

Ren resumed his attacks, but the coldness in his veins from using the dragon's power prevented him from accessing his full strength. Between him and Itsuki, they could barely break a barrier before another took its place. Filo would occasionally rush in with a kick, but was constantly forced to back off. Without the pope being on the defensive from having his shields broken, he was free to send attack after attack in their direction.

As another lightning bolt came their way, Raphtalia picked up her master and leapt to the side. Although they made it to safety, the resulting explosion knocked the wind out of her. She picked herself off of the ground slowly, pain evident on her features.

The Shield Hero couldn't stand it any longer. "Alright, everyone attack now!" he thrust his arm forward, and they complied.

Filo rushed and sent a high-powered kick to the front barrier, shattering it immediately. With a well placed **Meteor Shot**, Itsuki shattered another two barriers. This only left one in front of the pope, and he had spots that were open.

Motoyasu jumped high into the air and thrust his spear downward as he fell. **"Chaos Spear!"** With five rapid thrusts, he attacked Balmus at close range. They were all parried except for the last one, which sliced a thin line across the man's cheek. Quickly switching to his sword form, the pope slashed downward.

The shockwave that came from the attack forced the spear wielder backward into the air, where he was caught by Filo before he could fall. Raphtalia appeared behind her opponent with her sword already poised to strike. With a quick slash, she sank her blade deep into the man's shoulder. He grit his teeth as the pain numbed his arm, but with a quirk turn he slashed at the woman's stomach.

Raphtalia cried out in agony as the blade tore through her armor and clothing, opening a deep gash in her stomach. Blood poured from the wound, and she did everything she could to put pressure on it using her hand.

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi yelled, mustering up the very last dredges of his SP. **"Shield Prison!"** He surrounded her with the ball of shields and chains, saving her from taking any further damage. 'Damn, I don't have any SP left to heal her wounds!' he thought frantically.

Everyone on the battlefield was breathing heavily in exhaustion, including the pope. His weapon was less shiny than before, looking less golden and more similar to how the Cardinal Weapons were in appearance. "It would appear that I have no choice, then." he said with finality, as if he was disappointed.

"I now give you all the opportunity to die under the watchful eyes of God. May your souls be purified by His grace and might!"

"**Cathedral!"**

At first nothing happened, but one by one they looked into the sky to witness a black ball forming. It quickly expanded before a web of energy lines dropped to the ground, surrounding all of them in its dome.

All of them except Naofumi.

"What the hell is this!?" he yelled, running up to the dome and pounding his fist against it to no avail. His fist was repelled by it like a barrier. "Raphtalia! Filo! Ren!"

"Naofumi!" Ren turned and shouted. "Run and take care of the faithful over the hill! We have no other choice! Hurry! I promise I'll protect them!"

It was the most emotion Naofumi had ever heard coming out of the sword hero's voice, and his jaw clenched so hard he thought he would break his teeth. He growled, visibly shaking. "Grr...You'd better keep that promise, you bastard! Or I'll find a way to bring you back just to kill you again!"

The only response he received from Ren was a huff and a smirk that held far more confidence than the man really had.

Walls fell to cover the outer area of the dome, blocking everything from sight. Naofumi's heart was in knots, and for the first time in a while, he found himself panicking.

"Behold! The high-level multi-caster magic known as **Cathedral!**" Balmus exclaimed within the dome that now looked more akin to the inside of a church. "You should be honored that you get to die on sacred ground. Your sins will be purged along with your souls for the betterment of this world!"

Filo set down Raphtalia, who she had quickly rescued before bringing back to the other heroes. The filolial sent a concerned glance in the direction her master was on the other end of the dome. 'Please be alright, Master...'

The three heroes resumed their attacks against the pope, but his barriers were as strong as ever. He merely chuckled at them. "I have something special planned for the Devil, so don't worry. I'll be sure to make him watch as I burn your corpses so he understands what true power is."

Raphtalia winced, breathing erratically as the wound on her stomach flared in pain. "You monster! I won't let you hurt him any more than you already have!" she said, doubt growing in her mind.

"We can do it." Filo said confidently. "Master is counting on us, and we need to count on him. If we watch each others' backs, we'll all be okay right?"

The raccoon managed a weak smile at the reminder before her injury made itself known once again. "You're right, Filo. We have to stay strong for him."

She used her sword as a crutch to stand back up. "It's all we can do at this point."

Naofumi ran as fast as his legs would carry him. 'Shit, shit shit! This isn't how this is supposed to go!' he thought angrily. He still had nearly a kilometer before he would reach the top of the hill, and easily another one before he would reach the followers. 'Raphtalia is injured! They're tired! I'm not there to protect them like I said I would!'

His doubt became anger. 'Damn it! Damn that bastard to hell for what he's done! He's the reason my life was hell in the first place, and now he's back to make it worse!'

"Fuck!"

He swore loudly, continuing his trek up the hillside. He wished he had Filo with him to help move much quicker, but he knew that she was needed inside the **Cathedral **much more urgently. They were struggling enough against Balmus's attacks as a group with all of their SP and skills at their disposal.

Now that they were tired and weakened?

He shook his head to break that train of thought. 'I have to believe in them! I have to! If I don't give 110% here and they get even more hurt, I'd never forgive myself!'

All he could do for now was run as fast as he could.

"**Phoenix Blade!"**

Filo was forced to dodge the bird of flames as it scorched the ground where she was standing. Rushing forward, she managed to break another barrier. Ren did the same, and they closed in for a combined attack.

"**High Quick!" **Filo shouted, vanishing in a burst of speed only to reappear beside her opponent. With a fierce kick, she lashed out toward him. However, a barrier appeared at the last second to stop her assault. Ren simultaneously thrust his blade forward from the other side.

"**Piercing Fang!"** A bright light encompassed his sword and extended nearly an extra meter forward, giving him more reach than before. The blade dug deep into Balmus's thigh, ripping the bottom of his robes and dying the rest of it a dark red. With a frantic swipe of his newly-changed spear, the pope sliced right through the armor on Ren's waist and caused a deep wound under his missing arm.

His spear suddenly stopped smoking and glowed a brilliant gold once more. With a smirk that hid the pain he was experiencing, Balmus pushed his hands outward and a burst of force pushed Filo and Ren back a small distance. "It would seem I have no choice but to eradicate you filth with my own Godly power. This replica is extraordinarily powerful, but I am no slouch myself."

He raised one finger into the air and began to chant. _"Oh heavenly Lord high above,"_

"Stop him! Hurry!" Motoyasu yelled, attacking with all of his strength. However, he merely broke one of the many barriers surrounding the pope.

Bright yellow and white energy emanated from Balmus's body as he continued. _"Your humble servant beseeches thee to bring down Your holy might upon these pitiful souls,"_

"**Meteor Arrow!"** An arrow broke through the next barrier, leaving only one in a specific spot to defend the magic caster.

"**High Quick!"** A swift kick from Filo shattered the last barrier.

"**Heavenly Splitter!"** Ren's blade swung in midair, causing a blazing shockwave to crash forward into the barriers. The flames destroyed most of the remaining barriers and burned Balmus's body horribly.

When the flames cleared, the man was still chanting despite his entire body being irreparably disfigured.

"_Smite the unfaithful with Your divine wrath!"_

"Oh no! We didn't stop him!" Raphtalia said, wincing. Her wound had slowed her down too much to get in close enough for an attack.

"**JUDGMENT!"**

Naofumi had just reached the top of the hill, gasping for air. He could now clearly see the horde of followers chanting something, and a mass of yellow energy floated above their heads. 'That must be pure mana. The bastard said magic wouldn't be very useful, but I don't even have a weapon to use!' he thought. 'How am I supposed to put a dent in these guys without one!?'

Suddenly, the sky darkened and the ground shook as if it was splitting in two. The hero was thrown to the ground as he turned toward the only thing producing light in that moment.

A massive pillar of blinding light shooting out the top of the **Cathedral**.

"RAPHTALIA! FILO!" he screamed in panic. Scrambling to his feet, he stared in horror as the pillar raged with pure energy that gave him chills even from this distance. The ground around the dome was scorched into nothingness, the roof was shattered.

He slumped to his knees as the ground stopped shaking. "No...there's no way they could have survived something like that..." he mumbled, tears leaking from his eyes. "Raphtalia...Filo...even Ren and the others..."

He pounded a fist against the ground in pure despair. "Dammit! DAMMIT! REN! I THOUGHT YOU WOULD PROTECT THEM! NOW YOU'RE GONE TOO!" His emotions were a wreck, and Naofumi could feel the rage pulsing within his chest.

"That man..." he seethed through grit teeth. "That _bastard_ took away the only people I had! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME, HUH!? DO YOU WANT ME TO LAY DOWN AND DIE TOO!? HUH!? WOULD THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY YOU PIECE OF FUCKING TRASH!?"

His shield's gem pulsed a dark red.

Gripping his hair, he pulled at it as if it would lessen the pain in his heart. "No...no no no no no nonononono!" He repeated it like a mantra. Naofumi sobbed silently, mumbling sweet nothings to himself in an attempt to calm his broken heart.

"They're not gone. They're not gone, no they're still there...They found a way to protect themselves, they had to!" His body trembled in fear. "It can't go like this, not after all I've been through!"

Tears darkened the soil beneath his face. "I loved her. I really loved her, and he took that away. She's _gone_..." he choked on his words. Though his eyes were blanketed by tears, they burned.

"I'll kill him..." he murmured in a dark tone. "I'll take everything he has, everything he loves, and then I'll kill him..." Naofumi's voice was hysterical, higher pitched as the sanity slipped from his mind.

"No, no no no that's not enough! Hehehe I need to make sure he _suffers_! Dying is too easy for him! Perhaps I could tie him up for the next Wave and watch as he gets eaten? Oh yes, that sounds _much better_."

"And maybe I could rip his limbs off while I'm at it...yes yes that sounds _wonderful!_ Force him to starve unless he eats his own _fucking fingers like a dying animal!_" He grinned in his madness.

His shield pulsed once more.

"Raphtalia and Filo...Oh you'll be missed." he chuckled maniacally. "You were the only things I had keeping me from losing it, and you're gone now. That means I have nothing to live for anymore. And we all know what that means..." he trailed off before his voice took on a dark undertone and his smile could split his face.

The shield's gem turned black.

"**It means I get to go wild."**

Blood red flames exploded around Naofumi, blanketing him in a burning cloak. His normally reflective armor became pitch black and covered in deadly spikes. Two long horns jutted from his head, curving backward and up. He stood in the center of a small bonfire as his skin sizzled and popped from the intense heat, but he merely stood there as if nothing was wrong. The **Shield of Wrath** appeared on his hand in place of his other shield, and the red patterns on its black surface glowed with unholy power.

From within the dark flames, bright red slanted eyes glared menacingly out into the world.

**Demi-Demon, Level 2: requirements met**

**Demi-Demon, Level 3: requirements met**

**Shield of Wrath II: requirements met**

**Warning! Waᴚnįng! Ŵ**ऄ**ᚱṄɪ⋂Ꞡ!**

"**Finally, it's about time I let loose." **the man said to himself in an almost relieved tone. **"If I can't live my life without being fucked every other week, then fine. They called me a demon, so I'll show them what a **_**real **_**demon looks like."**

The battlefield had grown silent since the last attack, and Naofumi walked forward slowly. Each step left a trail of scorched and cursed earth in its wake. His anger sustained the fire that blazed around him, and he felt nothing despite his body tearing itself apart.

The demon clenched and unclenched his fists as he walked. His body would randomly seize up, causing him to spasm and twitch erratically. Even through all of this, soft laughter could be heard within the inferno.

In what felt like only seconds but in reality was nearly fifteen minutes, the figure stood on a cliff overlooking the followers of the church. Naofumi glared down at them as one by one their attention was drawn to him.

"**Pathetic little mortals, all of them. Wasting away their mana and their souls for a man who claims to be the very God they worship. Pah." **he scoffed, the double tone in his voice even more pronounced now than ever. **"They're the first step of my revenge."**

"H-hey, who's that up there!?" one of the men below shouted, grabbing everyone's attention as he pointed toward the cliff. Although nobody could see it, their eyes all widened as they prayed harder.

"Please our Lord, save us from the demon before us."

"Please our Lord save us from this demon!" Their chants quickly became more and more frantic as the flames surrounding Naofumi grew until they covered the entire cliff he stood on.

His smile died and a look of pure rage replaced it. **"If it weren't for you, they would be alive. They would all be alive and I wouldn't be here! **_**You**_** created this monster, and **_**you'll**_** be the ones to welcome me into this world!"**

He swung his arms out wide. **"Say hello to your worst nightmare."**

The panicked chants quickly devolved into screams of terror. The church followers scattered, running in fear of the monster before them. It was every man and woman for himself as they pushed and trampled each other in their hysteria.

He chuckled before bursting into laughter. **"That's right, fools! Beg! BEG TO YOUR PATHETIC GOD! FOR IF HE WANTED YOU TO LIVE, HE WOULD NOT HAVE CREATED **_**ME!**_**"**

He held a hand forward as his canines enlarged and his eyes glowed. **"Slaughter Pit!"**

A tall gout of dark flames erupted ahead of the scurrying humans before spreading horizontally in front of them. Within seconds, they were trapped in a ring of fire. Some tried running through as quickly as they could, but they were instantly incinerated. Their screams of terror were quickly silenced, and it deterred the others from doing the same.

Meanwhile, Naofumi's expression of sadistic joy struck fear into anyone bold enough to turn and look at him. Drops of lava fell from his fingertips, melting through the grass and earth beneath his hand. A few seconds later, he held his hand out to grasp something.

"**Executioner's Calling."**

A blade formed in the earth, and he knelt down before lifting it by the hilt. It was a jagged blade that looked to be made of lava, with a red-orange metal that sizzled in the air from its heat. Black runes and characters in the language of demons lined the flat end of the blade. The man jumped from his place on the cliff, landing amongst the scattering people. Despite the weapon's immense weight, he held it in his right hand as if it were weightless.

With a roar of pure rage, Naofumi charged. He quickly caught up to a man who was slower than the rest. One slice later and the man's body was cut in two pieces at the waist. It only took a moment for the monster to reach another person, and with a spinning slash he tore off one arm then the other, then her head.

The screaming intensified as he laughed loudly.** "RUN LITTLE WORMS! RUN AWAY AND YOU MIGHT SURVIVE! HAHAHAHA!" **The man laughed as he tore through the religious folk in a gruesome display of violence. He impaled a woman through her stomach before throwing her body into a small group of people, knocking them over. While they were on the ground, he leapt forward and cleaved through all four of them with a single swing. Blood gushed from them, covering the man from head to toe.

Closer screams drew his attention, and his head snapped up to see a man and a woman clutching each other tightly. He chuckled darkly. **"Oh? What do we have here? Is this a couple in love?"** he asked, approaching slowly while dragging his blade on the ground behind him. It made a hissing noise as it cursed and burned the ground it touched.

The two people held on for dear life as if it would save them. They trembled in terror, eyes closed and praying for the nightmare to end. With a flourish, the man's head separated from his shoulders.

The woman screamed as she was covered in the blood of her lover. Then with another swipe, her head followed his own onto the ground. Naofumi rolled the bodies over and out of his way before continuing onward. Many people saw his display and ran as fast as they could, some choosing to brave the flaming wall that surrounded them rather than be annihilated by the demon before them.

The monster smirked at the chaos. **"Now this is what I'm talking about! Now everyone gets to feel what I feel! Isn't this wonderful!?" **he shouted to the world. With a quick dash, he stabbed through two people and lifted his blade into the air, the two gagging men suspended on his sword like a skewer. He lowered the weapon before pressing his shield against them, igniting their bodies with a torrent of fire that burned their skin black before melting it entirely. Their bones were exposed to the world for only a few seconds before they too became nothing but ashes.

Looking ahead, he stomped the ground.

"**Demonflare!"**

The ground cracked ahead of Naofumi, and a large detonation tore the followers apart. When the light died down and ears stopped ringing from the blast, people stumbled around with crimson flames melting their bodies. Some were missing heads or arms, and others merely screamed until they fell to the ground in death.

The carnage continued, with Naofumi ripping people apart without remorse. In fact, if the smile on his face was any indication, he enjoyed his newfound freedom immensely. The corpses littered the ground in a horrifying display of malice, and without anywhere to go the faithful could do nothing more than run and pray for safety in the afterlife.

"**Now, let me show you what happens when you break the wrong person!"** Naofumi shouted, lifting a hand into the air.

"_**Let my fury manifest and become the fires of Hell," **_he chanted, _**"Consume these pathetic souls as tribute for my own, and burn them until the end of time and space!"**_The sky darkened as the wind caused the flaming ring to spin. It swirled in a circle, quickly gaining speed.

As it became a blur of red, Naofumi clenched his fist and finished his incantation. _**"Now, meet your end and feel my rage!**_** Crimson Inferno!"**

The earth inside of the ring cracked before a deafening explosion tore through the air. Black smoke and crimson flames swirled with the cyclone quickly becoming a tornado of flames. Wind fueled fire, which fueled the wind in return. The deadly cycle created a vortex of spinning doom that incinerated everything within that reached high into the sky.

The people of Melromarc shivered in terror as they saw the towering pillar of swirling fire. Some would later claim they saw death itself behind the veil.

Screams were drowned out by the raging winds and scorching flames as anyone unlucky enough to survive the initial blast was lifted from the ground and tossed around in the vortex. The flames removed any trace of them within seconds, and as the seconds ticked by, the earth itself gave way to its power. Rocks and dirt that managed to survive the fire were coated black from the cursed magic and launched high into the air.

After twenty seconds, the flames and wind abated. The sky rained down cinders and soot that covered the land, setting the hillside aflame and starting more fires on their own. They produced a crackling sound that held the nearly unnoticeable sound of tortured souls screaming for salvation.

Then, Naofumi stood alone amongst his handiwork.

Nothing but dust and destruction remained, just like what was in his heart. Falling to his knees, the horns receded from his head and his eyes lost their glow. He panted heavily, staring up at the sky which held the remnants of his anger and rage. The early evening clouds had swirled around where the cyclone was but the darkened sky made it seem much later than that.

The man's eyes were wide open despite the heat that stung them, and he grit his teeth as whatever anger he had left was drowned out by sadness he felt. With a mournful wail, he cried and screamed into the sky of this cruel world. What is worse than having the only thing you loved taken from you in the blink of an eye?

Not being able to do anything about it.

For half an hour he cried his heart out, screaming like a child while his face was covered in tears that evaporated shortly after they were made. Eventually, his cries lessened into sobs and he huddled himself into the fetal position.

"It's not fair..." he said with a sniffle, clenching his jaw to stop himself from crying any longer. It would do him no good now, anyway. "It's not fair...Why does this have to happen to me? What did I do wrong?..."

"Raphtalia...Filo..." he hugged himself tighter as he mumbled. "I love you both. I miss you already. Why can't I just die so I can see you again? Why is this place so unfair?"

"I don't want to be here anymore...Please...take me home or kill me...I can't do this anymore..."

He fell asleep, surrounded on all sides by scorched and cursed ground. The stench of death and decay would never truly heal.

Naofumi awoke to the moon high in the sky. Using his arm to shield himself from the light, his mind was blank. 'It's morning already?...Oh...' he wondered. 'Not that it matters, anyway...I have no reason to get up. Maybe some monsters will come finish me off or something and put me out of my misery.'

More tears welled up in his eyes, and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. "Dammit...I can't believe I did this..." he whispered, turning his head to look at what remained of the hillside.

There wasn't much to look at.

"I...really am a demon, aren't I?" he said sadly, staring at his **Shield of Wrath** with a frown. "If they thought I was one before, I can't go back now."

"Just how many lives did I end yesterday?...And was it worth what I lost?..." He shook his head, remembering the two people he truly cared for in his mind. Raphtalia's smiling face and Filo's cheerful expression were forever ingrained in his memory.

"I'll miss them forever...Even if I go back to my own world, I could never live with myself. I can't go back to civilized society like this, as a broken man and a monster. All I wanted was to protect the people I loved, and I failed when it counted..."

"NAOFUMI!"

He didn't visibly react, opting to continue laying in the center of the hell he created. 'Oh, someone must have found me...Please...go away. Don't look at me like this, I know what you'll say! Just please, leave me alone!'

"MASTER!"

This time he flinched. 'I must be hallucinating. I've heard that PTSD can make you see and hear things that aren't happening, so that must be it. They're well and gone, and I'm losing my mind. There's no way they survived an attack like that...'

"NAOFUMI! ARE YOU OKAY!?" It came from right beside him and a hand dropped to his shoulder before the owner pulled it back quickly, hissing in pain. The person's glove sizzled as the fingertips melted off. "Naofumi, hey! Can you hear me!?"

The man's eyes were empty and dead, as if all light had been extinguished from them. The usual emerald shine was nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by a dull forest color that was nowhere near as pleasant.

"Naofumi, what the hell happened to you!? Are you alright!?" The person asked frantically.

'That voice...sounds familiar...' he wondered. 'But who?...'

A face whirled in front of his own, and it took him multiple seconds to realize he was staring into someone's eyes. "Huh...?" he asked in a raspy tone, throat parched of all water.

"Oh thank the Gods you're alive!" the person's relieved smile belied the concerned furrow of her brow. "It's been a whole day since we saw you, and I was worried to death! I was so scared something had happened to you!"

He would have shaken his head if he didn't feel so weak. "Who..."

"Huh?"

"Who...are you?..." he asked, much to the person's horror.

"You...don't know who I am, Naofumi?" the rescuer's tone was weak, as if their heart was breaking.

"Why are you here...? Just let me die here...Please...I have nothing left to live for...I don't want to live anymore...Not without _her._" He couldn't even move a muscle if he wanted to.

The person's eyes widened in terror as tears dripped from her face. He was pretty sure it was a woman, but he didn't know for certain because his brain refused to function at full strength. "Please...Let me die so I can see her again..._Raphtalia..._"

Something covered his dry lips, and the familiar feeling forced his mind back to life. He blinked. His eyes regained their light as he stared into the eyes of his beloved, red from tears. Teardrops fell on his face, and for the first time since he woke up, he could _feel_ again.

She pulled away, wiping her eyes. Naofumi turned his head weakly toward her in shock. "R-Raphtalia?" he asked, breathless and hopeful.

"Yes, my love?" she responded, a smile growing on her face despite the tears that continued to fall.

"You're...alive...? But how?..." He tried to sit up, but his body was weak. With a wince, the arm he used to lift himself gave way and he fell back to the ground with a gasp of air. The black armor surrounding him hissed before vanishing like a mirage, revealing his usual armor that was melted and torn. His skin was blackened and burned from the cursed fire.

The raccoon gently placed her hand on his cheek before wrapping her arms around him and helping him sit up. He wrapped his own arms around her and they didn't let go of each other, too busy enjoying the moment for all it was worth. Filo, now transformed back into her human form, leapt in and joined the embrace.

Sniffles broke the silence. "When we beat the pope, I was so sure you'd show up and smile like you always do. But _*sniff*_ when you didn't come back? I was _so scared_, Naofumi. I couldn't even sleep without knowing where you were, without knowing that you were okay."

He rubbed her back, disbelief on his face. "You guys beat him?...But that attack I saw..."

The raccoon sniffled again. "Some woman came and saved us. Naofumi you should have seen her, she was so powerful. Balmus didn't stand a chance against us once she arrived."

"A woman?" he asked, pulling away so they could look at each other again. Raphtalia's eyes were puffy from crying as she nodded.

"Yeah. I thought we were done for once he cast his spell, but-"

_Raphtalia's eyes widened as the glow surrounding Pope Balmus began to look less holy and more menacing by the second. The ground began to shake and powerful energy could be felt in the air, buzzing around like electricity._

'_This is it for us...' the raccoon thought sadly. 'I can't get to him in time to stop it, and none of us can defend against high level magic attacks.' She closed her eyes as a single tear slipped down her face._

'_I'm sorry...Naofumi...I'll always love you...'_

_A deafening boom shook the earth and sky as a beam of holy energy pierced through the clouds above, crashing through the roof of the __**Cathedral**__. Time slowed as their doom drew closer, and the magic struck._

_The light behind her eyelids dimmed and she felt nothing. 'Am...I dead?' she wondered. Flexing her fingers for a moment, she found that she could still feel them. 'This is strange, shouldn't I feel some kind of pain?'_

_The roaring sound of __**Judgment**__ could still be heard in her ears, and she opened her eyes. They immediately widened at what she saw._

_A woman, clad in a green dress reminiscent of a cheongsam, held her hand in the air. A force field emanated from her palm, blocking the holy energy with what seemed to be little effort. She had shining brown hair and a tall but very curvy figure._

"_Who are you!?" the raccoon asked, voice muffled by the raging energy above. The other heroes and Filo all stared at the newcomer with shock. The green-clad woman closed her eyes calmly._

"_I made it in time. Good." she said. Everything above their heads was shrouded in yellow, and the power in the air thrummed with dangerous intent. The woman looked around. "One of you is missing." she noted._

_Motoyasu stepped toward her. "Who the hell are you!?" he demanded._

_Ren tripped the Spear Hero by gently placing his blade in front of the man's leg, preventing him from approaching. "Is that the kind of thing you ask someone who saved us? Don't be stupid."_

_Raphtalia stood, still clutching her bleeding stomach. "But really, who are you? And why did you save us?" she asked._

_The energy from __**Judgment**__ subsided and the deafening noise stopped, revealing the evening sky above their heads. The __**Cathedral**__'s roof had been obliterated without a trace, and Pope Balmus panted heavily in exhaustion as he bled profusely._

"_My name is Ost Horai. Our world is now in danger of complete annihilation, and I have come to ensure its only hope is not killed over petty matters." the woman said, before calmly walking to Raphtalia and holding her hand forward._

"_**Zweite Heal."**_

_With a glowing light, the wound on Raphtalia's stomach vanished. Her clothes were still stained with blood, but her pain had disappeared._

"_Who *huff* the hell are you?" Balmus asked, out of breath. Using a high level spell had obviously exhausted him greatly._

_Ost ignored him, walking to each hero before gently casting another spell. __**"Soul Light."**__ she said. Rather than the usual blue light from the healing spells, this one was as green as the gems on their weapons._

"_Woah, my SP is back!" Motoyasu said excitedly. "How'd you do that!?"_

"_This is all too convenient." Itsuki said. "You're obviously powerful enough to defend against his strongest attack, yet you need us? I'm not buying it."_

_Ost shook her head. "Although I may overpower you now, the users of the holy weapons are not bound by the same restrictions that the rest of us are. One day, if you survive, you could become so much more powerful than we could possibly imagine."_

_Ren looked into the gem on his sword. "So that's what you meant..." he mumbled. The gem glowed blue for a moment before returning to normal._

_The tall woman turned toward the pope with a calm - almost bored - expression. "Your actions no longer benefit this world, so I'm afraid you must be removed." she said, crossing her arms under her bountiful chest._

"_You...you can't possibly hope to stand against the might of God!" Balmus cried, clutching at his burnt skin and robes. "God is absolute! _I_ am absolute! Even the heroes fall before my might!"_

_Ost sighed. "Then you're both a fool and a nuisance. Come, warriors. Let us defeat this man who calls himself a God."_

"_Rrrraaaaaaaaaagggggh! __**Phoenix Blade!"**__ the pope screamed, unleashing the powerful attack which soared through the air._

"_**Gravity Field - Extreme Gravity."**_

_With a simple command and not a single movement of her own, Ost caused the earth itself of rumble. Both Balmus and the phoenix crashed to the ground, with the flaming avian dispersing upon impact. The priest struggled to lift himself, weighed down by an intense force._

"_Grrrrrrr, how!? I am God! I cannot be defeated by some woman and these false heroes! This world needs me! I am its salvation!"_

_Ren walked up to the man, completely unaffected by the gravity spell. The barriers that had protected him thus far were nowhere to be seen, curiously. "It's over, Balmus. You've fallen." he said, holding his sword above the priest._

_The man writhed on the ground, burned and exhausted of his power as well as crushed under the might of gravitational fields. "I-impossible! I won't accept this! I cannot be defeated here by such meager heroes and some wench! Without me, this kingdom and world are doomed! It cannot survive without its God!"_

"_I never was a religious man anyway."_

_Ren stabbed the man in the back and through his heart . He choked on blood, frothing at the mouth before his eyes dulled and he ceased his struggles. Biscas Balmus was dead._

_They turned toward their savior with varying expressions. Motoyasu, Raphtalia, and Filo all stared at her in awe. Itsuki was skeptical and wary, and Ren was grateful. The bow hero nocked an arrow and pointed it at her._

"_Now tell us who you really are. There's no way you just happened to show up here in time to save our lives." he said._

_She turned to look at the young man, showing her thin, sharp eyes. "You're right that our meeting was not the work of chance. I came here because that man threatened the lives of many people through his faith. Had he been left to his own devices, he would have surely brought about the downfall of this world."_

"_But how?" Ren asked. "How was he such a problem to the whole world? I get that he could have threatened Melromarc, because he already had, but everyone else? This country is isolated anyway."_

"_As far as human supremacy goes, this country is the only one where it is the norm. Even had he succeeded, the other kingdoms would have allied to destroy him if the Waves of Calamity did not do so first."_

"_That still doesn't explain why you showed up now." Itsuki said with a glare._

_Ost turned away, giving him a perfect shot if he so chose. "I suppose you could say I heard of his plot through the grapevine, and came to stop him."_

"_That sounds like a copout."_

_She chuckled. "Perhaps, but you would not be alive had I not intervened. Grow stronger, then. You will be needed soon enough." With that, she began walking away._

"_Stop right there!" Itsuki said, releasing an arrow toward her back. With grace, she spun to the side and caught the projectile with her hand. She glowered at him as she gripped the shaft tighter, snapping it in half._

"_Do not test me, user of the holy bow. You would do well to be less impulsive in the future. It may save your life one day." With that, she continued walking off. The heroes did not try to stop her again._

_Filo ran up to Raphtalia. "Sis! Are you okay?" she cried. The raccoon gave a sigh of relief after patting herself down._

"_Yeah, I'm fine Filo. Thanks."_

"_Good, I'm glad to hear that Naofumi won't be coming to haunt me in the afterlife, then." Ren walked up to them, transforming his sword back to its usual state and sheathing it at his side. Raphtalia sweatdropped._

"_I really hope he was joking about that, but knowing him he would try his best..."_

"_Phew!" Motoyasu wiped sweat from his brow. "She really saved our asses, for real. That guy was no joke!" He allowed his spear to rest against his shoulder vertically._

_Itsuki glared in the direction the woman disappeared in. "She caught it like it was nothing...Someone like that has to be some kind of boss level enemy!"_

_The taller blond man slapped the younger one on the back with a chuckle. "Lighten up, Itsuki! She may be crazy strong, but she was crazy hot too! I mean, did you _see_ her!?"_

"_The fact that her appearance is all you can say about her is concerning."_

"_Come on, I know you were staring too!"_

_Raphtalia shook her head at their conversation. "So vulgar..."_

_Ren sighed. "It's just Motoyasu, really. He's always like this."_

"_I pity his party members."_

"_Actually, I think they enjoy it." Ren said with a one-armed shrug. "Makes them feel pretty or something. Women are weird."_

"_And men are impulsive, prideful animals." Raphtalia shot back with a smirk that the dark haired man shared._

"_Touché."_

"Immediately after that, I saw the fire and came running." Raphtalia said, looking around at her surroundings. "What in the world happened here...?"

Naofumi's smile fell from his face as he clutched his face in pain. His scar burned like lava and he winced. Looking away, he beheld the catastrophe that he had wrought upon the land. "It..." he sighed. "It was me..."

Raphtalia and Filo both looked around with widened eyes. "Naofumi..._you_ did all of this? It looks like something terrible happened."

Hands on his face, Naofumi's eyes watered and his body trembled with a sob. Seeing this, the raccoon gently wrapped him in a hug. "It's okay, Naofumi. You can tell me. I promise I won't judge you. You had to use the demonic power, didn't you? I can feel it everywhere."

He nodded against her chest, tears streaming down his face. "I killed them, Raphtalia...I killed them all..."

She rubbed the top of his head soothingly. "It's okay, my love. You didn't know we would be saved, and you had no other way to stop them. As much as I hate to admit it, I expected you to be forced to use it."

"But that's not what happened at all!" he clenched his fists into her shirt, gritting his teeth. "I didn't do it because I had to! I did it because I wanted to!"

"You...wanted to?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

He pushed himself away just enough so she could see the pain on his face. "I thought you were both dead! I saw that giant spell and-and-!" he cut off as his sobbing intensified. "I-I didn't think you would make it! It hurt so much! I thought my entire life was over!"

"Shh...Naofumi, it's okay...we're both still here. We're safe, and so are you."

He shook his head. "But it's not okay! I didn't just kill them! I _massacred_ these people, Raphtalia! I gave into the darkness and became a demon willingly! I-I can't live like this anymore! I can't protect anybody when I'm capable of something like _this!_ Who would want to be protected by a monster!?"

"I do." Raphtalia said with a soft smile. "You're not a bad person, Naofumi. You never have been, and you never will be. The fact that you did something so drastic in an effort to save us just shows how much you care."

He wiped a tear from his eye before it could fall. "But it wasn't about protecting! I wanted nothing more than to erase this world from existence when I thought you both would be gone! I love you! Both of you!" he gripped his head in frustration and agony. "A world without you in it isn't worth living in!"

The two girls wrapped their master in a tight embrace. "It's okay, Master. You're still you, so I'll follow you no matter what!" the filolial girl said, burying her head into the man's chest as he continued crying.

Raphtalia held the two of them close. "You always let yourself be the one that's hurt, so let us shoulder some of that burden. If the people choose to follow you, we'll stand beside you. If they fear you, we'll protect them alongside you. If they hate you, we'll show them how much good you can do."

"We'll always be with you! I know it! You'd never abandon us!" Filo exclaimed.

Naofumi sniffled before he relaxed, allowing the tension to leave his body. His tears ran freely down his face, and he wrapped his arms around his loved ones. "Thank you..."

"Thank you...Thank you..." he mumbled over and over like a mantra. Raphtalia and Filo stayed with him until he cried himself to sleep, and the two put him on Filo's back before walking him back to the castle.

They arrived at the front gate, where they met with the guardsmen. "Halt! Who goes there!?" he shouted, pointing his spear at them. Raphtalia patted Filo's feathers.

"We're with the Shield Hero. He was injured in the fight against the pope, and he needs rest and medical aid. Can we enter?" she asked. The knight's face was barely visible from the torch he held, and he looked skeptical for a moment before relaxing his posture.

"Very well. Her Majesty has been waiting for his return all evening. Please do not keep her waiting."

"Thank you."

He allowed them to pass, and they entered before instantly being surrounded by servants.

"Lord Naofumi is here! Bring him to the medical wing!"

"What kinds of injuries _are_ these!?"

"Curses! Bring holy water! The strongest you can find!"

The servants scrambled around in a panic to ensure he survived. Naofumi was unconscious, slumped against Filo's back and supported by Raphtalia's hand. After several seconds a servant beckoned to her.

"Bring him, hurry! We need to get these curses taken care of or he won't recover!" Her tone was frantic enough to spur the two into action, running down the halls of the castle toward what they assumed was the medical wing. They were led to a large room filled with beds and various medical herbs, potions, and other supplies.

"Set him down please!" the woman commanded. Filo and Raphtalia lifted him off of the former's back before setting him down on the bed and adjusting him into a comfortable position. "Thank you, I'll be right back with Her Majesty and the nuns!" With that, she sprinted out of the room.

It only took a few minutes for Mirellia to show up, still in her royal gown and panting. Her pristine face no longer had the usual makeup and her hair was disheveled. Along with her panicked expression, she looked rough.

"How is he!?" she asked pointedly.

Raphtalia smiled. "He's going to be alright, I think. He had to use the curse's power, but he seemed fine until he fell asleep."

Mirellia breathed a sigh of relief, holding herself against the doorway. "Oh thank goodness..." she took a moment before coughing into her hand and entering the room with her usual grace. "I heard from the other heroes that the fight was much more difficult than expected, so I'm glad you all survived."

Raphtalia narrowed her eyes. "Naofumi had a feeling you were up to something. With all due respect, you knew that Balmus would attack, didn't you?" she asked with eyes narrowed, standing between the woman and her love.

Mirellia closed her eyes. "I will not lie to you, Raphtalia. I had hoped that he would show himself during the trial or the execution, though I did not expect his followers to be so fanatic or in such large numbers. After training at Cal Mira, I had fully expected him to be an easy foe."

"But why!?" the raccoon demanded. "Why would you not deal with him yourself!? You're the queen!"

She shook her head. "Sadly, my power does have its limits. After the war against Siltvelt, hatred against demi-humans - and by extension the hero who protected them - became the predominant view. Without a good reason to abolish that mindset, my authority as queen would have been compromised."

"So it was just a plot to keep yourself in power."

Mirellia looked genuinely apologetic as she bowed deeply. "It was all for the good of both my kingdom and our world. Now that the people themselves have seen the evil that Balmus represents, I can safely abolish the Three Heroes Church and establish the Church of the Four Saints: one that doesn't discriminate against any of the heroes or any people, human or otherwise."

Raphtalia calmed down, tail relaxing. "Fine. I suppose you had good intentions, at least." she said, looking back down to her master. "But Naofumi..."

Servants and nuns burst through the door. "Pardon us, Your Grace!" a nun said, running to the bedside with a small vial on a plate. She gently uncorked the top before carefully pouring its contents on his face. The blackened skin vanished from the holy water's influence, and the furrow of his brow relaxed.

The other servants held several of these holy bottles, as they handed one after another to the holy woman. After covering the majority of his visible damage, she leaned him upright. "Help me take his armor off, please!"

"Okay!" Raphtalia said, helping the servants remove his protection and clothing to reveal the rest of his body. After they cured the curses there, they removed his shirt. What they saw made them all gasp.

"Oh my goodness..." Mirellia whispered.

"What..._happened_ to him?..." a servant asked quietly.

"Naofumi..." Raphtalia whispered, concern lacing her voice.

His chest was covered in dark scars similar to the one on his face. A single rune of demonic origin pulsed with power on his left pec, shining with a dangerous light.

"Quickly, we have to get rid of as much of the curse as we can!" the nun brought attention back to his treatment, and grabbed a bottle of holy water. Dumping it on his chest, it healed the darkened skin but the scarring remained. The rune flared up, brightening into a fire red color as the blessed liquid touched its surface. Any water that touched the rune evaporated instantly.

"The holy water is being rejected..." the nun said in awe. "What kind of curse is this...? I've never seen anything like it..."

"That is none of your concern." Mirellia said with a sharp tone. "Cure what you can, and leave us. The Shield Hero requires as much rest as he can get."

"Right away, Your Majesty!"

Nearly ten minutes later, the servants and nuns left the room. Mirellia bowed her head once more. "Again, please forgive me for not telling you all sooner. I pray that Lord Naofumi can forgive me as well for using you all to expose the pope's corruption."

Raphtalia held a glare for only a moment before she looked back to her master. "He'll understand, I think. Just please, don't put him in a position like this ever again. He just wants to save people, even if he's a little mean about it. He doesn't deserve to bear the brunt of a curse this powerful on his own."

Mirellia nodded, standing upright once again. "I promise that I will do everything within my power to aid Lord Naofumi from here on out. Whether he wishes to stay here or return to Siltvelt, I will ensure that he is an honored guest within our city."

"Thank you, Queen Mirellia."

"No." the purple haired woman shook her head with a smile. "Thank you, for keeping him safe. I had feared the worst when I saw the flames from the castle."

Raphtalia gripped Naofumi's hand in her own as she smiled down at his resting face.

"I'll always be there for him. Whether it's in this world or the next."


	16. Chapter 17

**Hey, you, you're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there.**

"Hello" - Words

'Hello' - Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech

**As always, feel free to review!**

Naofumi was floating, or at least he felt like it. Other than that pit in his stomach and a mild burning sensation in his chest, his senses failed him. Darkness surrounded him along with a deep humming noise.

"_You're back."_ came a somewhat familiar voice. _"And you failed where you promised you would succeed. How unfortunate."_

The man recognized that voice anywhere from its deep tone and the echoes it sent through his mind. "Yeah..." was all he could say. If he could sigh within his own mind, he would have.

"_Your reliance on the demi-human girl is both your strength and your greatest weakness, even more so than before. And look at what it got you."_

He growled internally. "And what would you have done? Just accept that they were gone and be done with it!?"

An annoyed sigh came from within his mind. _"No. Did you forget that their status shows up in your vision? If you hadn't reacted so emotionally, you would have known that they were - somehow - still alive and well the entire time."_

Naofumi clenched his fists, but he had no rebuttal for his captive. "I...didn't want to believe it. I knew that I could have looked, but the thought of one of their names not being there anymore?..." he trailed off, choking on his words despite not being capable of mentally sobbing.

"_...I see."_ A solemn response. _"You could not bear to know the truth if they had indeed perished, and would rather assume the worst. Humans are such illogical creatures. However, that does not excuse what you did."_

The human's will crumbled instantly. "I-I know what I did wasn't right. I-"

"_You not only gave into the cursed power, but you willingly allowed it to accelerate your demonification considerably. At this point, you can barely be called a human."_

"I know that!"

"_Then who are you?"_

Naofumi was confused. "Huh?"

"_I'll ask again: who _are_ you?"_

The man was growing irritated. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm Iwatani Naofumi! I always have been, and I always will be!"

"_No, you're not."_ Zephyrus's voice was stern, like a disappointed father speaking to his delinquent son. _"You gave up being Iwatani Naofumi when you decided to accept your fate as a half-demon. Though you may have the same name as before, you are no longer the man you once were."_

"I get it, okay!? What I did was fucked up and overly emotional, but I thought the only people I loved were dead! Humans are emotional! We do stupid things when we're in love! I don't know if a demon would understand but-"

"_Oh I understand just fine."_ For the first time, the demon's voice was laced with frustration if not anger, and it made Naofumi recoil in surprise. _"Do not think we are so different, you and I. Not anymore. If you assume that demons are incapable of loving one another, you are very sorely mistaken."_

The hero felt a wave of sadness wash over him like a tide, dousing any lasting anger in his veins. "I-I'm sorry...I'm just trying to get used to this whole 'demon' thing for real."

Another sigh rang echoed through his mind. _"Do not trouble yourself, young one. You have already seen the consequences of your actions for yourself, so reminding you again is pointless. However, you must accept that being just as much of a demon as a human is a part of who you are now."_

"But what does that really mean? You were pretty vague last time we talked."

"_Do you truly expect me to know everything? I may have watched a demon possess a human and even done so myself once or twice-"_

"You possessed people too!? I thought that was for evil demons!"

"_AS I WAS SAYING," _Zephyrus loudly interrupted, ignoring his question. _"You should expect aggressive urges from here on out. Hatred, loathing, rage, and murderous joy are all parts of being a demon. We may be capable of many emotions, but we are inherently evil creatures after all."_

Naofumi raised an eyebrow in his mind. "Then how do you sound so calm? If I'm being honest, you give off more of a godly vibe than a demonic one."

"_Ha, well thank you."_ The man could imagine the demon puffing his chest out with pride. _"It took three hundred years of being sealed to truly control my instincts."_

"Don't sound so proud of it..." Naofumi sweatdropped. "That's still a long time..."

"_Regardless, be mindful of your emotions. If you get too angry, you'll draw on your own demonic energy. Now that you're a real half-demon, you actually generate your own demonic power. If you give into your rage, your demonic side will fight for control of your mind. If it takes over completely..."_ Zephyrus trailed off meaningfully.

"I'll probably lose it and go on a murderous rampage, right?" Naofumi asked, mentally crossing his arms.

The demonic god snorted. _"So you _do_ understand, to an extent. Put simply, if you aren't careful you will destroy everyone and everything you hold dear. If you aren't sealed into a stupid weapon like myself first, that is."_

"What a comforting thought."

"_Indeed. It is a boring existence compared to conquering worlds and pitting civilizations against one another."_ Zephyrus sighed. _"Be warned, Naofumi. This plan of yours to halt the Waves is more dangerous than you could possibly understand. There are powers at work even higher than myself, so until you can defeat me you will never stand a chance."_

Naofumi raised a mental eyebrow. "Stop being vague and just tell me what the hell is going on! You obviously know something."

"_An explanation would take far longer than we have. Your friends have cured the majority of the damage from your curse, but the sigil of wrath is etched onto your chest. It cannot be cured by human means, nor should you seek to do so. That sigil stores your demonic energy, and removing that would kill you now that you're half-demon."_

"Another scar, huh?" Naofumi sighed. "What _can_ you tell me about the Waves and this 'higher power'?"

"_Very little, since you're waking up. The Four Guardian Beasts may look like destroyers on the outside, but they act in the best interest of the world. Keep in mind that 'the world' and 'the people who live in the world' are not one and the same."_

Naofumi felt his mind pulling him from the darkness, and he allowed it to take hold of him. With a groan, he slowly opened his eyes. He felt two weights, one larger than the other, pressed against him. He sighed, gently moving his arms to wrap around both of them. The two girls snuggled closer.

Raphtalia moaned slightly as her own eyes opened, small bags evident underneath them. "Mmm...Naofumi, you're awake." she said with a yawn that made her tail stiffen before relaxing once more. "How do you feel?"

He was about to say he was fine but the sigil on his chest suddenly burned hotly, and his eyes widened with a strangled gasp.

"Naofumi! Are you alright!?" The raccoon was wide awake now, danger senses on high alert.

The pain subsided, and he took a few deep breaths. His struggling woke Filo, who rolled back and forth a few times before sitting upward and rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah...I think I'm okay." Naofumi said, hand clutching at his bare chest. "Hopefully that won't happen often."

"The curse must still be affecting you, and it's all coming from this symbol." Raphtalia said. "I have no idea what it means, do you?"

The filolial girl stretched her arms above her head with a cute yawn. "Uaaa. Good morning, Sis. Good morning, Master." she mumbled, still half asleep. The hero rubbed her head gently, messing up her hair much to the girl's annoyance.

"Good morning, Filo. How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Mmmm, not bad! This bed was really warm and comfy, plus I got to sleep with you and Sis so it was even better."

He snorted with a soft smile. "Glad to hear it. I hope I wasn't out for too long."

Raphtalia slid out of bed, showing that she was only wearing her underclothes that she usually wore under her armor. "You were only asleep for the night, thankfully. We were both worried sick once we saw how extensive the curse was."

Naofumi sighed. "About that..." he trailed off, gently touching his hand against the sigil on his chest. "According to Zephyrus, I'm just as much a demon as a human now."

"What!?"

"I know, I know. This thing on my chest is apparently storing the demonic energy that I naturally produce now." It burned again, causing him to flinch. "Sss, damn that still hurts though."

Raphtalia frowned. "That explains why the holy water didn't work on it, at least. But if you're actually half-demon now..." she trailed off, and her master shook his head.

"I know, technically I failed. I promised I wouldn't use it, but when I thought the two of you had died, I snapped." He gripped the bed sheets tightly until his knuckles turned white. "Dammit, I still can't believe I did all of _that_."

The two girls embraced their master. "It's okay, Master. No matter what happens, we'll both be here for you!" Filo said with a beaming smile.

"She's right." Raphtalia said with a soft smile of her own. "We can't change what you've done up until now, but we can be more cautious in the future. If Filo and I have to keep your inner demon from running out of control, we'd do it in a heartbeat."

Naofumi sniffled, wiping a tear that had yet to fall. "You guys are honestly the best." he said, smiling at them both before breaking out of their arms. "Anyway, we should get up and move. I feel stiff as hell."

After getting redressed, Naofumi looked around for his armor but it was nowhere to be seen. "Hey guys, where's my armor?"

Raphtalia's tail flicked once. "Oh, we had to remove it to pour holy water on your wounds. It was so horribly scorched and cursed that the nuns said it was more worthwhile to just buy something new."

He groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me..." With a sigh, he opened the door. "Well, I guess we had Elhart making us stuff already, so a little extra couldn't hurt. We did give him a lot of materials."

Only seconds after they walked out of the room, they were stopped by a young guard. "A-ah! Lord Shield!" he exclaimed, grabbing their attention with a salute. "The queen asked me to escort you to her as soon as you were awake! Are you well?" he asked.

Naofumi shrugged. "As good as I can get, I suppose. Lead the way."

The knight moved with quick steps, obviously nervous. The corridors of the castle were no easier to navigate than the last time he was here, but eventually they entered a meeting room. With another salute, the knight took his leave.

"Ah, Lord Naofumi. How are you feeling?" Mirellia asked with a smile.

He rolled his neck and shoulders to relieve some tension. "A bit stiff, but otherwise I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" The queen asked with a concerned look. "The curse you were under was quite powerful. Our strongest holy water was unable to fully cure it."

"I know. There's a bit more to it than that." Naofumi said, gently touching the spot where his sigil lay. "I'll keep it simple though. I'm officially half demon."

"What!?" Melty exclaimed in shock, before clapping her hands over her mouth. "I-I'm so sorry! Pardon my interruption!" She bowed her head and shrank away to hide herself.

"You don't mind my daughter being here, do you?" Mirellia asked.

Before her master could even respond, Raphtalia interjected. "No not at all. What exactly did you need us for, Your Majesty?" Naofumi gave her a half-hearted glare, but said nothing.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. I know that yesterday was stressful for all of us." the woman said, motioning toward some seats. Filo ran over and sat down, and Raphtalia joined her. Naofumi remained standing. The queen cleared her throat. "As I'm sure you're all aware, Pope Biscas Balmus attempted treason yesterday and was killed."

Naofumi scoffed, crossing his arms. "Damn religious fanatics..." he grumbled.

"Indeed. Balmus was the leader of the Three Heroes Church, the organization primarily responsible for both the mistreatment of demi-humans and the Shield Hero in our country." Mirellia said, before bowing deeply. "Lord Naofumi, I must offer my sincerest apologies for not being there to assist you earlier. Also, I would like to apologize for using you to take down Balmus. I had no idea he had amassed so many followers during our absence."

He crossed his arms. "So I was right, after all. You never planned to execute the Trash King in the first place. You were waiting for that psycho to show himself." Raphtalia sent him a disapproving glare at his rudeness.

Mirellia nodded. "You are correct. As I told Raphtalia last night upon your arrival, I needed a reason to publicly accuse Balmus of treason to avoid the kingdom turning against me. I knew that Balmus was using my husband to further his own agenda, and would not allow a powerful pawn to be killed so easily."

Naofumi narrowed his eyes. "That's pretty bold to put your husband's life on the line just to keep yourself in power. What would you have done if the pope hadn't shown up?"

"Being a ruler is much more than a title and a crown, Lord Naofumi. Surely you understand that there are more important things than myself. My husband may be a fool, but he is still my husband. I walked into the execution courtyard fully prepared to offer my own life in exchange for his."

He raised an eyebrow. "You would give yourself up for him? That's ridiculous." Naofumi rolled his eyes. "Taking your life instead of his would just make everyone here hate me even more for killing their beloved queen. You knew I wouldn't accept it."

"Exactly." the queen smiled. "Although I would have regretted using you in such a way, I knew that if you accepted my proposal you were not the man I believed you to be. In any case, it no longer matters. Between Balmus's interruption and subsequent death, I can safely abolish the Three Heroes Church and establish the Church of the Four Saints: one that doesn't discriminate against demi-humans or the Shield Hero."

Naofumi sighed with a relieved smile. "Thank God for that. But what do you plan to do about your husband? He pretty much screwed me over from the start."

Mirellia sipped from a cup of tea on the table before placing it back on its saucer. Her hand was visibly shaking. "Rest assured, Lord Naofumi," her voice was laced with barely-contained anger. "that my fool of a husband _will _be punished for his failures. He was once a smart man, but I can see that he has become complacent with his royal status."

Raphtalia looked at her with concern. "What exactly do you plan to do to him, Your Majesty?" she asked, hands clasped together tightly in her lap.

Some of the tension left the queen's posture. "Well, I planned to leave that up to Lord Naofumi. He's the victim in this situation, so I felt that it would be appropriate for him to choose the punishment."

Naofumi sighed. "The one I really want to punish isn't alive anymore, so I don't really care too much about what happens to him. Whatever you choose to do, just make sure he suffers for it."

The queen raised an eyebrow. "What if I forced him to join your party as a slave? It would be quite a humiliating fate, to be reduced to a slave of the man you hate."

Raphtalia sent a disapproving glare at her master's excited expression. "With all due respect _Naofumi_," she said tersely, forgoing any honorifics, "that seems a bit too much. Don't you think?"

He met her glare with one of his own for only a moment before backing down with a roll of his eyes. "Fine, I guess I wouldn't want the Trash king around me so often anyway." The raccoon facepalmed at his attitude, while Filo giggled.

"If I may speak freely," Melty jumped into the conversation. "I would like it very much if you and my father would at least _try_ to get along. This hatred between you cannot continue forever."

Raphtalia frowned at the bluenette. "Melty, I'm not sure if something like that is possible. Your father intended to both sell me back into slavery and have Naofumi imprisoned for the rest of his life. That isn't something that's easy to let go of."

Naofumi smirked. "She's right. I have no intention of playing nice with him. If he pushes my face in the dirt, he can't complain if I do the same to him. I think I've found exactly what I want, though. For the rest of his life, I want him to be called Trash by each and every person in the world."

Raphtalia pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I suppose he could have asked for something far worse..." she grumbled.

"I agree. If those are your terms, then I shall accept them." Mirellia said, face hidden behind her signature fan before she snapped it shut. "From here on, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII shall officially be known as Trash. I will also abolish his royal privileges, leaving him as nothing more than a soldier of the kingdom."

The hero smirked. "Sounds good enough for me. He could use a little bit of work for once."

"Speaking of work," Mirellia set her fan down on the table with a smile, "it would appear you were right, Lord Naofumi."

Filo looked between them in confusion, only to see both Raphtalia and Melty doing the same. "Masterrrr, what were you right about?" she asked curiously.

"I agree with Filo. I'm a little lost." Raphtalia said, focusing her attention on her master.

His expression became somber. "Raphtalia. You remember when you introduced me to your parents, right?" he asked, softly. The woman mirrored his tone.

"Yes...why?"

"You said that you were bought by a guy named Idol Rabier, and he was apparently awful to you."

The girl visibly tensed at the name, clenching her fists underneath the table. "Yes...?"

Mirellia answered her. "Lord Naofumi requested that I send a party to investigate his residence. Imagine my _surprise_," the sarcasm dripped from her voice, "when I found a plethora of demi-human slaves in his basement, beaten within an inch of their lives."

Filo and Melty both looked toward Raphtalia, who was shaking in silent rage. Her teeth were clenched, and Naofumi put a hand gently on her shoulder.

The queen opened her hand to reveal a rosary of a sword, a spear, and a bow intertwined. "Luckily, my shadows found this among his belongings. As I'm sure you're well aware, this proves that he was a follower of the Three Heroes Church. Based on the sheer number of these, as well as the drivel he spouted when we took them away, we had plenty of reason to arrest him overnight."

"You arrested him in the middle of the night?" Naofumi asked with a raised eyebrow. "I bet he didn't like that very much."

"He didn't." Mirellia sounded smug. "But because of your efforts in helping me declare the Three Heroes Church as heresy, I had a perfect reason to detain him. And what do you think happens to his slaves if he is in prison?"

Raphtalia's ears perked up slightly along with her expression. "You don't mean..!"

The queen smiled. "That's right. They're all free."

A smile broke out on the raccoon's face. "Really!? Where are they now!? Do you know who-"

"Relax, Raphtalia. They're all recovering in another area of the castle right now." The purplette said, and the Tanuki forced herself not to run in search of them. "As I said, some of their injuries were substantial. They need all the rest they can get, along with the medical care they deserve."

Raphtalia's mood dampened. "I-I understand..." Her master rubbed circles on her back with his hand. "I know this is a stretch, but did they find...the body of a girl?"

"You may need to be more specific."

"She had pink hair, and was fairly small even for her age." The raccoon shook her head. "She died back when we were both slaves there, so I was hoping to give her a proper burial."

A shadow approached from the corner of the room, whispering something to the queen before returning to their place. Mirellia frowned. "I'm afraid we didn't find anyone matching that description. I would assume..." she trailed off, unsure of whether to continue.

"What?" Raphtalia asked with sad eyes. "Please, don't be afraid to tell me the truth. I...think I can handle it."

"Very well then. I would assume that one of the many skeletons we found in the cages belonged to your friend. We have arranged for them to be safely transported elsewhere."

Naofumi gave an approving look. "You work pretty damn fast in one night."

The queen puffed her already-large chest in pride. "I didn't become queen by sitting on my hands, Lord Naofumi." He averted his eyes as Melty's gaze dropped from her mother's face down to her bust before a jealous pout appeared on her features. "On another note, your other request will take some time."

"Another request? You sure are needy, Master."

"Be quiet, Filo." he said with a sigh. "How long will it be before everything is ready?"

Melty cleared her throat. "I personally oversaw some of the preparations this morning, and they were working remarkably quickly. However, something of this scale will take quite some time and a lot of resources. It may not be complete before the next wave."

"It may be just enough time for the refugees to recover from their wounds, in fact." Mirellia added with a smile. "The soldiers responsible for the attack on Lurolona Village have all been executed. Hopefully its residents will be happy to reclaim their home, and even happier to know that the Shield Hero is their new mayor."

"Mayor?" Raphtalia asked, looking to see the smirk on her master's face. It was infectious. "Naofumi, she doesn't mean-"

"That's right." He smiled at her. "As of today, your old village is going to be rebuilt and I'm going to make sure it stays safe forever."

Without warning, Raphtalia stood and slammed her lips against his. She knocked over her chair in her haste.

"Ewwwww! Master and Big Sis are doing gross things!" Filo whined, pretending to gag.

"S-so shameless!" Melty hid her eyes behind her hands, face burning a hot red.

As they broke apart, the queen merely used her fan to fan herself. However, if one looked closely they could see the slightest tinge of red upon her cheeks. Raphtalia couldn't help herself, hugging her Hero tightly.

"Thank you...Thank you..." She repeated it to herself more than anyone.

Naofumi smiled softly down at her. 'If she had any doubt in her mind that I wanted to leave, it's hopefully gone now.' he thought to himself. He rubbed the back of her head soothingly. "Anything else? We have some equipment to pick up and some people to visit." he asked out loud.

"Can..." the blue-haired princess started softly. "Can I come with you when you go to repair the village?" she asked hesitantly.

Even her mother was surprised. "Melty, how bold of you! To think you would be spurred into action by such an open display of affection! Perhaps I'll have grandchildren yet!"

The girl's face became a tomato. "Th-that's not it, Mother! Stop teasing me!" she complained. "I-I just feel that...going with Lord Naofumi and Miss Raphtalia would be a good experience for me. You know...to learn how to lead a town."

Filo jumped at the idea. "Plus you could stay with me, Mel-chan! We could go play all the time!" The blonde girl was ecstatic, turning to her master with an intense expression. "We're letting Mel-chan come with us!" she practically ordered.

"But-"

"No!" Filo cut Naofumi off. "Mel-chan has to act all fancy all the time and never gets to have any fun! Plus, if you and Big Sis start sleeping together then I'll get lonely!"

He sighed with a slight blush of his own. "As long as her mother is okay with it." he relented, and the filolial ran around the table to the queen.

"You'll let Mel-chan come with us, won't you!?"

Mirellia snapped her fan shut. "I suppose I can allow it, if you give me something in return." she said cryptically.

"Like what?"

"I'm quite interested in legends, if I'm being honest. When I'd heard that there was another filolial queen, I was excited beyond belief. Would you mind showing me your filolial form up close?"

"Huh? That's all? Okay!" Filo asked. A puff of smoke later, and she suddenly took up a large amount of the conference room.

"Oh my goodness..!" Mirellia said in awe. "You're even more grand than I could have imagined! The legends don't do you justice at all!"

The bird cocked her head to the side. "I'm not that big! I think." she said, putting a wing to her beak in thought. "Fitoria said she could get much bigger. LIke about the size of this castle."

"That's the name of the Legendary Filolial!" The queen's excitement radiated off of her in waves as she smiled like a little girl being told an epic tale from her grandfather. "And she's that massive!? I simply _must_ see her for myself!"

As the queen ranted about how amazing Filo and this 'giant fluff ball' were, Naofumi and Raphtalia smiled at each other. "I still can't believe you'd go so far." the raccoon said quietly, laying her head gently on his chest.

"I'd go even further if I had to. I had no idea if anything would come of it, but I figured I'd try. Everything just happened to work out far better than I'd imagined." he replied.

"Still, it means so much to me. I'll get to raise our flag again, and hopefully some of the people I remember will still be alive." She gripped his shirt a bit tighter. "And I'll have you there the whole time. It's...like a dream come true."

He patted her on the head between her ears. "Well, we still have some time before everything is ready, so we should focus on doing what we can to get stronger. I have a feeling we'll need it."

"Huh?"

Filo transformed back into her human form. Her cowlick began glowing and twitching. "My head feels weird! Ahhhh! Master, help!"

"What the hell-"

"Oh...Okay." Filo calmed down. She nodded, then nodded again. "Hmm, okay! I'll tell him!"

"Filo, who were you talking to?" Raphtalia asked in concern.

Filo regained her cheerful smile. "Oh! Fitoria wanted me to tell you that she would handle the next wave herself! She wants us to focus on getting stronger."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "So you're telling me we could have talked with her whenever we wanted?.." His eye twitched and he clenched his fists.

"Umm, she said yes."

He growled, visibly shaking. His eyes flickered between a shining red and their usual green, and his scar looked like lava. Unholy heat radiated from him in waves. A dark aura emanated from his body, causing Melty and the queen to shiver.

"Naofumi! Snap out of it!" Raphtalia cried, laying a hand on his shoulder but pulling back with a hiss. "Your body is heating up! You need to calm down!"

It took a few seconds for him to regain himself. He relaxed, taking deep breaths and looking at his hands as if they were foreign to him. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

Mirellia frowned. "You said you had become a half-demon, so that must be part of your power. If it weren't so dangerous, it would be fascinating. It seems to respond to your aggression, so staying calm may keep it under control."

"That was so sudden, I didn't even notice it was happening." Naofumi said, trembling with eyes wide. "I...don't know if I can hold that back forever."

"Don't worry, Master! We'll make sure you don't go all evil and stuff!" Filo said with a smile.

"She's right." Raphtalia's eyebrows were knit together in concern. "Whenever you start to lose control, we'll pull you back."

"But what if I end up hurting one of you? If I end up like I did before-"

"You won't." the raccoon interrupted. "I'll make sure we're strong enough that you never even need to worry about us. Fitoria is going to handle the wave, so we have plenty of time to train and get stronger."

Naofumi gulped. "I-I hope you're right. It's just..." he trailed off, eyes lowering in shame. "I don't even know how many people I've killed, but deep inside I still enjoyed what I did. I never want to be like that again."

"Huh?" Filo's cowlick twitched again. "Fitoria said that she could cast a spell that would do...something." The girl scratched her head. "Her explanation was confusing, but I think it helps you be less angry."

He sighed. "I guess that would help."

Mirellia cleared her throat. "To add to what Miss Raphtalia said, I suggest that _all_ of the heroes undergo emergency training. You and Lord Ren work well together, so I don't foresee him having any issues. But the other two..." she trailed off with a groan. "I have not seen them since the battle with the pope ended."

"You mean they ran away?" Raphtalia asked, tail fluffed in frustration. "What cowards!"

She shook her head. "No, they are still within the city. However, they have ignored my summons all morning."

Naofumi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Those two idiots, I swear. Anyway, what did you have in mind for this 'emergency training'?"

The queen snapped her fan shut once again. "I have requested that one of our best knights teaches you all about proper swordplay. She has won multiple tournaments, and I'll personally vouch for her skills. In addition, I have requested the aid of a combat instructor."

"Combat instructor? That's pretty vague." the hero said, crossing his arms.

"She fell terribly ill a few months ago in a village to the east that was overrun by plants because of the Spear Hero's mistakes. Although she and her son escaped with their lives, she was horribly crippled and can no longer fight on her own."

"If she can't fight, how is she supposed to teach us anything about fighting?" Filo asked, head tilted to the side.

Mirellia smiled. "She happens to be a practitioner of an extraordinarily complicated martial art known as Hengen Muso. In fact, she's the last surviving user of the style. Had she died, the secrets would have been lost forever."

"Sounds like we got lucky that she lived." Naofumi said off-handedly. "What's so special about this Hengen-whatever anyway?"

"I think I'll let her speak for herself once she arrives. In the meantime, I suggest you all meet with our blacksmiths to get new equipment. Yours in particular was in horrible shape, Lord Naofumi."

"I'll pass." he responded. "I have a blacksmith already, and he's already making something new for us. No offense, but I trust him a lot more than your blacksmiths."

"Understandable." Mirellia brushed an errand strand of hair from her face. "I will continue to reach out to the Spear and Bow heroes. We need their cooperation in this training or it will be all for naught."

"Alright, let's go then." Naofumi said, turning to leave. Filo ended up staying behind to play with Melty, so that left Raphtalia alone with him. After they left the castle, they headed straight for Elhart's shop.

Along the way, Naofumi looked through his status menu. What he saw scared him.

Raphtalia noticed this, and held his hand. "Naofumi, what's wrong? You have a serious look on your face."

He gave her a quick smile that faded just as quickly as it came. "It's just all of this at once has me nervous. I know you and Filo can handle yourselves, but I don't want to risk losing control again." Naofumi sighed. "Plus, the extra abilities and bonuses I got from becoming a half-demon are a bit concerning."

"Bonuses?" she asked, ears perked.

"Yeah. I didn't notice them until just now, but apparently there are some pretty huge boosts"

He explained them to her.

**Demi-Demon, Level 2: Passive Bonus: Threatening Presence, Blood Magic**

**Demi-Demon, Level 3: Passive Bonus: Wretched Strength, Demonic Resilience**

**Threatening Presence** naturally focused nearby enemies on him, meaning that he would have to take a more defensive role in general. It acted similarly to **Hate Reaction**, but without being a guaranteed success.

**Blood Magic** forced him to use HP to cast magic rather than MP. In fact, his MP bar was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't very excited to test it out for the first time, but he also didn't want to be surprised in the middle of a fight.

**Wretched Strength** massively increased his Attack Power based on how many enemies he has recently killed. It could be useful in certain situations such as the waves, but other than that it didn't do him much good.

Finally, **Demonic Resilience** doubled his DEF stat in exchange for him not being able to be healed by anyone or anything but himself. This meant that all of the potions he had available to him were useless unless he gave them to Raphtalia or Filo.

**Blood magic **and **Demonic Resilience** would be extremely beneficial on their own, but together they severely limited his options. Together, the only way he could be healed other than letting his HP return naturally was to use a healing spell on himself. Because it now used HP instead of MP to cast, the effectiveness of the spell was significantly lowered. He could still do it, but he imagined that **Blood Magic** made casting spells pretty painful.

Naofumi _really_ wasn't excited about the new development. For all the good these bonuses had, the drawbacks were just as impactful.

"So you're basically stronger, but you hurt yourself just to cast magic?" Raphtalia said, tail limp and ears flattened against her head. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I." Naofumi sighed. "We'll need to give it a few test battles to see if it affects our strategy too much. Depending on how bad **Blood Magic** is to use, I may have to save magic as a last resort."

"Hopefully it isn't as bad as it sounds. Just remember, Filo and I will be with you to make sure nothing goes wrong." She smiled at him. "If you keep us safe, we'll keep you safe. That's the rule."

He chuckled. "Thanks for the reminder, Raphtalia." They soon arrived at the blacksmith's shop. Pushing the door open, they saw Elhart in the middle of an argument with a customer.

"I'm telling ya, no less than 5 gold pieces! That bow is elderwood wrapped in dragon leather and padded with truesilver! It's quite literally one of a kind!"

"No way am I paying that much! I know for a fact that elderwood and truesilver have been in low demand recently! Dragon skin can't possibly be that expensive on its own! 2 gold pieces!"

"Oh, do _you_ want to go out and find a dragon? Didn't think so. 6 gold pieces!"

"That's more than you said earlier!"

"Knock knock, old man." Naofumi interrupted. Elhart poked his head out from behind the customer, who turned toward them in surprise.

"Oh, hey! It's you guys!" The customer brushed hair out of her eyes. "Ren went off to do some grinding on his own for today, so Jugo and I are on our own. All that leveling in Cal Mira made us too strong for our old stuff." Armalis was as excitable as ever.

Raphtalia smiled at her. "Good to see you again. We were actually coming for something similar."

Elhart scoffed. "Hey kid! How about you tell this woman what I went through to get those materials?"

Naofumi replied simply. "I gave them to you to make our equipment and you could keep the rest. You didn't lift a damn finger."

Raphtalia giggled at Elhart's betrayed expression. "Aww c'mon kid! Stick up for the old man for once! And after all we've been through, too!" he whined.

Armalis turned back to the shopkeeper with a smirk. "Well then, _old man_. I'll meet your offer in the middle. 3 gold pieces for the bow. It's all I've got to work with."

Elhart locked eyes with the woman in silence for five full seconds before he sighed. "Fine, fine. But you'd better come back once I move, ya hear?" The woman dropped three gold pieces on the table which were quickly swept into a pouch by the blacksmith. After she took the bow and gave the string a few test pulls, she smiled in satisfaction.

"Well, I'll leave you to it! Gotta make sure Jugo doesn't get lost. He sucks with directions." she said as she left.

Raphtalia cocked her head to the side. "Mister Elhart, you're moving?" She turned to Naofumi in confusion. "Did you know about this?"

He shook his head. "No, that's the first I've ever heard of it. What gives, old man? You'd better not be pawning off half-assed work then skipping town on us." Naofumi said with a joking smirk.

"Ha! As if I could leave you two like that!" Elhart walked around the counter and gave Naofumi a half-hearted punch to the shoulder. "Where's the little missus? The blonde one with the angel wings?"

Naofumi rolled his eyes. "She's busy playing with the princess, the one that didn't try to screw my life over."

"I see. Well, I suppose I should let you know that I received word from the queen that a new village was being rebuilt in the next few weeks. They're sure to need supplies and weapons in case the local monsters get territorial, and when I heard who the mayor was gonna be," he smirked, "I felt like it was the opportunity of a lifetime!"

Naofumi's eyes widened. "You don't mean-"

"That's right!" Elhart said with a smile. "I'll be moving into your village, so you'd better help make me a fortune alright kid?"

Raphtalia's tail wagged back and forth. "That's great, Naofumi! At least we'll know we have the best around!"

"Yeah." The hero's smile was soft. "After all you've done for both of us, sticking your neck out on our behalf and not judging when shit hit the fan. I think you've earned that fortune, old man." He shook the blacksmith's hand tightly. "We'll be glad to have you, Elhart."

"Don't get too sentimental on me, boy! Just because I treat ya like family doesn't mean you don't have to pay!"

The three laughed heartily together. "So what have you got for us?" Naofumi asked before gesturing to himself. "As you can see, I really need a new set of armor."

Elhart rubbed his chin in thought. "I heard about the pope and all of that nonsense. I always knew the church was rotten, but I had no idea that it was that bad. Saw the light and flames from here and I'll tell ya, something about that didn't seem so 'holy' to me."

Naofumi and Raphtalia shared a glance. "His abilities were much stronger than we expected, as well." the raccoon said. "I guess it goes to show that 'holy' and 'good' are separate things."

"Ha! Ain't that the truth. Come on back, I'll show what I made for ya." the man said, opening the door to the forge. It was cooled for now, so he must have finished any work he had planned for the day.

Elhart grabbed a blade and held it out to Raphtalia, who took it. She inspected the blade, from its bright silver shine to the small layer of magic coating the edge. The core of the blade was a bright gold color, surrounded by intricate carvings in the silver. After giving it a few test swings, she smiled. "The weight is absolutely perfect! What did you use to make it?"

The blacksmith puffed his chest out with pride. "I wanted to try using dragon bone on it, but in its natural form it was too stiff and brittle for a blade. I ended up choosing a combo of truesilver for the majority of the blade, and I finished the edges with magic steel."

He reached behind him to pull out a mid-sized axe that made it obvious where the dragon bones went. "And this is for you, kid. I felt like you needed something with a little weight, so I used the bones on the haft to make sure it never breaks. Go on, get used to it."

Naofumi took the weapon and swung a few times. "It's a bit awkward, but that's probably just because I've never used an axe before. Other than that, the weight feels pretty good."

"That's because the dragon bones make the haft a lot heavier than it usually is. Normally you'd feel the weight at the blade end of the weapon a lot more."

"It's perfect." Naofumi said, setting the weapon down beside him. "And the armor?"

Elhart snapped his fingers. "I thought I'd do a little throwback for that one. I got the inspiration for the style from my old master, but I made a few changes to it for you." He gestured to a mannequin wearing a set of armor.

It was a silver chestplate with an angular design similar to the **Small Shield** he started with. A few chains connected the chestplate to a few small plates that would cover his legs, and more chains connected the chestplate to the arm guards. Every single piece of metal was lined on the inside with incredibly soft fur that made them comfortable to wear. On top of the ensemble was a grey cloak, pinned with a small brooch in the shape of a dragon's head.

"It's a little lighter than your last set, but because the materials were so much better I was able to make it a lot stronger without limiting any of your movement. Here, I'll help you put it on." Elhart said, pulling it off piece by piece and helping the man dress himself.

Within a minute, Naofumi was fully armored and looked ready for battle. Raphtalia looked at him with stars in her eyes as her tail flicked excitedly. "You look so dashing! The grey and silver really suit you!"

"You think so?" he asked, twisting to look at himself from every angle possible. "It makes me feel more like a bandit than a hero."

"Ah don't worry too much, kid! You look fine. Besides, if the missus here likes it there's no reason to complain. Ain't that right, Raphtalia?" Elhart asked with a smirk that the raccoon mirrored.

Naofumi sighed. "Well I guess it's functional, which is what matters."

"That reminds me! I made sure to coat the weapon in blood clean, so they won't rust after a long time. I pulled a few favors and got that armor enchanted with self-repairing, so even if it gets damaged it'll fix itself back up after a few minutes!"

"It can repair itself? That's extremely useful." The hero was impressed. Taking a look at the armor, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

**Barbarian Armor (s): Blunt/Slash/Stab resistance (small), fire resistance (medium), lightning resistance (small), magic resistance (small), MP up (small), HP up (medium), form-fitting, self-repair.**

"It sure is! The lady at the magic shop was more than happy to enchant it for ya, so make sure to stop by and thank her when you get a minute."

"Huh. We'll have to do that, then." Naofumi said.

"Almost forgot these." Elhart pulled out a pair of gloves made of hard leather and cloth. "They're supposed to enhance your strength using your magic, but it's more of an experiment. I figured you'd find a use for 'em somehow."

Naofumi took them and put them on. His STR stat shot up, but his Attack Power remained the same. 'I guess it's more useful outside of combat, then. Maybe Filo could use these somehow?' he wondered, taking them off and putting them in his inventory.

"Thanks, old man. I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other now that I'm not being chased around the country." the hero said, and they shared a chuckle.

"You're right about that! Must feel nice. Look at how far you've come from being that kid that got zapped for holding a wimpy little sword."

Naofumi blushed slightly. "Don't bring that up."

"Naofumi, what do you want to do with the rest of our day?" Raphtalia asked, sheathing her new weapon. "Filo will probably stay with Melty all day, so we're on our own."

He thought for a few moments. "Hmm, well we may want to test out the new skills I just got. Plus we should pay the magic lady a visit to learn a spell or two. Then maybe we can track down Ren and do something? We've never really hung out before, so this is a good chance for us to get to know him and his party."

Raphtalia smiled at him. "That sounds good to me."

"Alright, stop your loitering! I have customers who need equipment and I can't have you two hogging all of my space!" Elhart said, but his face didn't match his tone. Naofumi and Raphtalia chuckled at him.

"We'll be back sometime before we move to the village, old man. Later." the hero said with a smile and a wave.

"Take it easy, kid. And keep him under control, alright?"

"Will do!" Raphtalia responded, much to Naofumi's dismay.

They closed the door behind them. "Where to first, Naofumi?" the raccoon asked with a smile.

"Let's check in at the magic store first, since it's just down the road."

The witch was happy to see them and even happier to hear that they had made good use of the books she gave them. Although they didn't buy anything, the woman made it clear that she'd offer her services once the village was repaired.

When he showed her the small crystal from the dragon, she was perplexed.

"Hmm. It seems like some kind of core, but I have no idea for what purpose." the witch said, holding the gem and inspecting it from all angles. "You said this was _inside_ of a dragon?"

"That's right. It turned into a Zombie Dragon, but once that was removed it died for good." Naofumi said.

"Well whatever it is, it has some powerful magic inside of it. I can feel something dark inside of it, but it's too advanced for even me to appraise it. Sorry about that." she said, handing the shard back to him.

He pocketed it. "Don't worry too much about it. It was a shot in the dark anyway." Before they managed to walk out the door, Naofumi turned. "One last thing. Have you ever heard of **Blood Magic**?"

At the name, the woman blanched. "Y-you're not interested in something so dark, are you?"

He shook his head. "Not really, but I heard the term once and wondered if it was real."

The witch regained some of the color in her face as she sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried that a hero as good as yourself would fall victim to such evil magic. Yes, **Blood Magic** exists but it always ends up being used for dark rituals and the like. Basically, you use your HP to cast your spells instead of MP."

She shivered. "I can tell you from experience that it's very easy to misuse such magic. You're not limited by MP when you're using magic in that way, so ambitious mages try to cast high level spells that they're not ready for. It goes without saying that you _can_ kill yourself trying to cast strong spells while you're injured."

"Hmm, I'll have to keep an eye out for it then. Don't want to fall into the wrong crowd." Naofumi said, turning to leave with a lazy wave. "Thanks for your help."

"Not a problem, Shield Hero! Take care!"

As they left, they wandered through the streets. The marketplace was bustling with activity. Groups of soldiers loaded crates of supplies onto carriages, merchants shouted out their daily deals for all to hear, and overall the mood was bright.

Raphtalia tugged on her master's arm before pointing. "Naofumi, look. It's Ren."

He looked in the direction of her finger only to see the Sword Hero looking up to the sky idly. People gave him a fairly wide berth because of his large sword, so he didn't need to pay too much attention to his surroundings.

Deciding to break the ice, Naofumi walked up and patted the man on the shoulder. "Yo." he said.

"Ah!" Ren jumped slightly before turning to him in shock. "Jeez Naofumi, don't do that."

"Hello again, Ren." Raphtalia greeted him with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

The dark haired man shrugged. "I'd be a lot better if Armalis didn't rack up such a huge bill everywhere she went, but other than that it's not too bad. How about you two?"

Naofumi rolled his neck. "Aside from officially being half demon, I'm fine."

"I thought you were half demon before?"

The Shield Hero shook his head. "Nah, I was just a little bit demonic back then. Now it's half and half for sure."

"What exactly happened? I thought you said it only would get worse if you used it a lot." Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.

Naofumi averted his gaze. "I...don't really want to talk about it." His somber mood was obvious even to Ren, and he dropped the subject entirely.

"Anyway, did you hear that we're having some kind of training camp with the queen? We're supposed to get some master swordsman and a combat instructor, apparently." the one-armed man said, walking with his hand in his pocket.

Raphtalia chimed in. "That's what we were told, too. It'll be interesting to have someone teach me how to use a sword for real. Aside from the very basics, I've been entirely self-taught. Were you like that too?"

He nodded. "Yes. I haven't had any sort of formal training, but I've been trying my best to get by without it. In the beginning, I thought that only your level mattered so I didn't think it was important. After watching the two of you fight, I can safely say I was wrong."

Naofumi cupped his hands behind his head. "In any case, I'm more interested in this martial artist lady and her Hengen-whatever style. If it's useful, it could help us big time."

"Have you heard anything from the Spear or Bow heroes?" Raphtalia asked. "The queen was looking for them, but apparently they've gone missing."

Ren shook his head. "I don't even think they stayed in the castle last night after the big fight. I feel like they're up to something since they won't even talk to me anymore."

"That's not good. We'll need them to get a lot stronger if we want a chance at beating the waves for good." Naofumi responded with a sigh. "I can't believe they're so stubborn. They're way too weak to handle themselves."

The sword hero nodded grimly. "I was in the same position not too long ago. All it took was using their power up methods along with my own and my stats went through the roof. That, along with all the training on the islands really paid off. I can only imagine how weak those two are despite their levels being higher than ours."

The group grabbed a quick lunch before heading back to the castle. The entered the main courtyard before Raphtalia's ears twitched. As soon as she looked up, she pointed and panicked.

"NAOFUMI!" she screamed as she took off running.

He only had a moment to follow her finger before he saw what looked like a person falling from the castle tower. "SHIT!" he yelled, sprinting in the same direction. The person was falling very quickly, head first toward the ground.

"**Air Strike Shield!"** he shouted, creating a spectral shield for the person to land on. They collided with the makeshift platform with a painful crash, but immediately after they landed they rolled off, back toward the ground.

"What the hell!? **Shield Prison!**" Naofumi created a cage of shields, enveloping the person before they could fall any further. After letting them sit inside for a few seconds, he was underneath it. He allowed the cage to disappear, and the girl - he could now see the gender - dropped toward him.

With remarkable strength, he caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Let me go! Let me go! Please!" the girl wriggled in his arms until she broke free of his grasp. She sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes before running off.

"Raphtalia, stop her!" Naofumi shouted.

"Right!"

With a quick burst of speed, the raccoon caught up to the fleeing girl and stopped her. "Hey, what's wrong!?"

"No! No!" The girl fought against Raphtalia's grip with all of her might, which admittedly wasn't much. She was visibly crying with tears streaming down her face. "M-Master Itsuki..!"

Raphtalia's ears perked up. "What about Itsuki? Tell me what's wrong. Hey," She turned the girl to look her in the eyes. "You can trust me. What happened?"

"What the hell were you thinking!?" Naofumi yelled at her, causing the girl to shrink in fear. Raphtalia glared at him and he sighed. "Why did you jump from the castle tower? Do you _want_ to die?" he asked.

The girl shook her head, still trying to break free. "B-but Master I-tsuki said-he said-" Her speech was riddled with sobbing. "He said he didn't need me anymore! That I was weak and I was holding him back!"

Naofumi snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, grabbing her attention. "Hey, who gives a shit what Itsuki says? Who is he to say how much you're worth?"

"You don't understand!" the green haired girl cried. "He said I broke his favorite accessory, but I didn't! I didn't do it!"

Rage burned within Naofumi's chest, and he clenched his fists. "And that's a good reason to try to kill yourself!?"

"B-but he saved me! Master Itsuki is the whole reason I'm still alive! I owe him everything! I love him! If he thinks I'm worthless, then I may as well just die!"

Naofumi trembled with anger as cursed flames danced between his fingertips.

"Naofumi! Calm down!" Raphtalia chided, causing him to release just enough tension to keep his power at bay. He took deep breaths to calm himself.

"_*sigh*_ Thanks, Raphtalia. Now, you said Itsuki saved you? What do you mean?" he asked, crossing his arms.

The greenette sniffled, no longer fighting against Raphtalia's grasp. "My name is Rishia Ivyred. I-I'm the daughter of a noble family, but we fell on hard times and barely got by with what we had. A bad nobleman was threatening our village, but we couldn't afford to keep it secure from bandits and robbers. Eventually, I was kidnapped in exchange for paying the bills my family had accidentally racked up. Then Master Itsuki and his party showed up, and he saved my life."

Ren walked up, placing his hand on Naofumi's shoulder. "And Itsuki asked you to be part of his party?" he asked.

The girl shook her head, pigtails swishing back and forth. "I begged him to let me come with him. After all, he saved me life! I wanted to be useful to him! I wanted to be there to protect him just like he protected me!"

Raphtalia backed up until she was beside the two men. "But he said you broke his accessory even though you know you didn't?"

Rishia nodded. "Uh-huh. I was coming back this morning with some supplies and groceries, but when I got to the room they were mad at me! They said I broke his favorite bangle and tried to hide it, but I wasn't even there! I would never do something so careless, anyway!" She looked on the verge of tears once again, and Naofumi was furious.

"And you think your life has no meaning just because that brat is an idiot!? Don't be stupid!" he shouted. Raphtalia and Ren looked to him in surprise. "Your life is worth so much more than being some kind of errand girl for him!" he said.

"B-but it isn't Master Itsuki's fault!"

Ren chimed in. "Come to think of it, that other party member of Itsuki's always has this nasty look in his eyes. The one with the fancy armor. Do you think he had something to do with it?"

"You mean Mald?" Rishia asked before shaking her head. "I-I don't think he would do something like that. He may be fiercely loyal to Master Itsuki, but he's never been mean to me before! He just made sure I knew where I stood in the hierarchy!"

"Hierarchy?" Raphtalia asked. "What do you mean?"

The greenette's eyes lowered in sadness. "I've been with Master Itsuki for the shortest amount of time, so it made sense that I would have to do the chores for everyone else. Eventually, I would end up higher in the ranks with everyone else."

"That's so fucked up, I don't even know where to begin." Naofumi grit his teeth in anger. "Is he really so blind that he'd make someone his slave when all they want to do is help?"

"Master Itsuki didn't do anything wrong! Umm! Please don't do anything bad!" Rishia tried tugging on Naofumi's arm, but he stubbornly skulked off. "Where are you going!?"

The Shield Hero no longer leaked demonic energy, but he was pissed. "I'm going to find him, and I'm going to find out the truth. If he knows about all this and he still said those things, I'll strangle him myself."

"P-Please don't!" the girl whined, being dragged as Naofumi power walked away.

A shadow appeared in front of him, halting his advance. "Message from the queen for you, Lord Naofumi and Lord Ren. The Bow hero has been sighted near the southern gate at an inn room. He was seen with three people, likely his party members."

"Perfect. Tell the queen I'll be sure to keep his ass alive long enough for her to tear into him too."

"Sir." With a quick salute, the shadow melded into the background and disappeared.

As they neared the southern gate of Melromarc, a shadow not-so-secretly appeared on a nearby rooftop. He pointed at a building, signaling that was their target, then vanished before they could get another look at him.

"It's creepy how good they are at that." Raphtalia whispered to Ren, who hummed in agreement.

Naofumi took a few deep breaths before entering the inn. Raphtalia quickly halted him by grabbing his arm, and they shared a quick look.

"Don't do anything you'll regret, okay?" she said.

With a sigh, he nodded. "I promise I won't kill him." After he turned and walked a few steps he muttered under his breath. "_Didn't say I wouldn't try."_

"I heard that, Naofumi!" she complained. He ignored her and walked up to the front counter.

"What can I do ya for, Shield Hero?" the middle aged man said. He looked much older than he really was, though.

"I'm looking for the Bow Hero, Itsuki. Is he here? We have an important hero conversation to have."

The man regarded him as well as his group before shrugging and pointing to his left. "He's in room 7 down the hall. The big one with the red door. Can't miss it."

"Thanks for your help."

"Fueeeeeh." Rishia whined. "I don't want to do this..."

Raphtalia pat the girl on the back. "Don't worry, Rishia. If Naofumi gets out of control, I'll stop him. We're just here to tell Itsuki what happened."

"Th-that's what I'm afraid of. Fueeh."

Naofumi knocked a few times before the door opened. The man with the fancy armor - Mald - poked his head through before scowling. "Shield Hero, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I need to talk to Itsuki, is he there?"

"No."

"You'd better not be lying to me, or I'll kill you."

"Naofumi!" Raphtalia chided from behind him.

Rishia stepped forward. "Umm, Mald? I-is Master Itsuki there?" she asked, nervous.

His gaze fell to the greenette before he scoffed. "Master Itsuki has nothing to say to the likes of you. Begone!"

Naofumi slammed the door open, knocking Mald onto the ground. "Knock knock! Who's there? It better be _fuckin'_ Itsuki!"

"Naofumi!? What the hell are you doing here!?" the Bow hero asked from the other side of the room. Apparently he had been sitting on a couch.

Ren entered the room, followed by Raphtalia and Rishia. "We're here to talk about her, Itsuki." the Sword hero said, pointing to the trembling girl. "What happened between you two?"

"She broke my favorite accessory that gave me tons of damage bonuses! I can't be in a party with someone who would sabotage me in such a way!"

Naofumi scowled. "But is that what really happened? She says she didn't do it, and if you've seen what I've seen, you'd be just as inclined to believe her."

Mald scrambled to his feet. "You would take her word over Master Itsuki's!? You're a fool!"

"Am I?" Naofumi's glare turned to the man as a small amount of demonic flame flickered in his eyes. "Rishia here tried to throw herself off the top of the castle walls. Whatever you people said to her made her want to kill herself. Is her life really so meaningless that it doesn't affect you?"

Itsuki grit his teeth and lowered his head in shame. "I-I did it to protect her..."

"What was that? You need to speak up. My face isn't in the floor."

"I said I did it for her safety!" The blond boy's face was laced with frustration of his own. "She's weak, Naofumi! Really weak! The fact that she survived the wave where you were missing is a miracle! She's already been through so much, and I wouldn't be a symbol of justice if I dragged her around with me through all kinds of dangerous things!"

"So it wasn't about the bangle at all, then?" Ren said with a glare. "Changing your story isn't making us believe you any more than before, Itsuki. Just tell us the truth."

The entire time, Raphtalia had been standing close to Rishia with concerned eyes. All of a sudden, the greenette stepped forward with her hands clasped tightly together.

"M-Master Itsuki! I-"

"I don't want to put you in danger, Rishia. Your stats are horribly low and quite frankly you're just not cut out for fighting. You freeze up whenever we're in a fight and you deserve to go back to your home and be safe."

"That's bullshit, Itsuki! You're just giving excuses!" Naofumi shouted. "If you didn't want Rishia around, just say so! Don't go through such an underhanded tactic just to get your way!"

"And who are you to judge _me_ for being underhanded, Naofumi!? You're the one who owns slaves!" Itsuki yelled. "That's as unjust as you can get!"

"At least I'm not the one who treats my party members like slaves!"

Itsuki drew his bow, an arrow appearing on the string as he pulled it back. "Get out! All of you!"

"You're really going to sit there and think you're not the bad guy here? Give me a break!" Naofumi scoffed. "You're just as bad as that bitch of a princess, framing someone for something they didn't do!"

"I said get out!"

"You think so damn highly of yourself that you won't even stop to think you're in the wrong. If you're such a powerful symbol of justice, surely you can strike down some lowly demon with that beloved bow of yours? Go on, try me."

"Fine, you asked for it!" Itsuki released the arrow, but it struck Naofumi before clattering to the ground. It didn't do a single point of damage. "What!?"

"You're a monster!" Mald screamed, brandishing his sword.

"If you think she's weak, have you taken a look at yourself? You can't even scratch me, Itsuki. Everyone here believed the Shield Hero was nothing more than dirt, and what's lower than dirt? Worms. That's all you are, Itsuki. A worm, writhing around and trying to look important."

"Damn you! **Eagle Piercing Shot!**" An eagle appeared over his arrow before he let it fly, but it was easy to see it with his higher level.

"Too slow." Naofumi said, grabbing the eagle by its throat and squeezing until it vanished.

"Fine then! If you're going to run and hide behind him, then I'm afraid we can't work together as a party anymore, Rishia. Leave." Itsuki said, lowering his bow but glaring in their direction.

Neither Ren or Raphtalia were quick enough to stop the green haired girl from sprinting out of the inn, but the raccoon quickly gave chase. Ren stuck around.

"You're making a big mistake here, Itsuki." he said. "Surely you understand that someone's life isn't yours to play with and get rid of when it's not convenient for you anymore. If she's not strong, help her be strong. Don't throw her away like trash."

"I don't want to hear that from you, Ren! You're just happy that Naofumi let you meet God!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naofumi asked with eyebrows raised. "Have you absolutely lost your mind?"

"Then how else have the two of you gotten so strong, so quickly? I've done everything right to make myself as powerful as possible, and yet the two of you are miles ahead! The only thing that can explain it is hacks!"

Ren sighed, facepalming. "Itsuki, don't be stupid. I didn't meet God. I _did_ meet Tiamat, the dragon inside of my sword. I already told you and Motoyasu about this, but you didn't believe me."

"Of course not! How ridiculous can you get? If there was something inside of my bow, I would have known already! Dimension Wave didn't have any mechanics like that, anyway!"

"I'm done with this." Naofumi said, turning to leave. "Itsuki, I'll say it once because I think that deep down there's some part of you worth saving. _Get. Your Shit. Together_. You'd better show up to this training session the queen has planned for us, or so help me I'll fucking _find_ God and have him beat the shit out of you."

With that, he walked out the door before slamming it shut behind him. After he got outside, he saw Raphtalia holding Rishia on the ground. The girl was struggling, but her STR stat was significantly lower than the raccoon's, and she couldn't move an inch.

"P-please let me go, Miss Raphtalia! Please!" Rishia cried, face wet with tears.

"Well, what are you going to do now?" Naofumi asked her. "If it isn't obvious by now, Itsuki seems bent on keeping you out of his party."

"I-I don't have a reason to live. Without Master Itsuki-"

"Itsuki is an idiot, Rishia! Get that through your head!"

"That-that's not true!"

Naofumi sighed in defeat. "If I let you run off on your own, you would go back to the castle and jump. So in a way, I just saved your life. Now what do you want to do with that life?"

"I..." she trailed off, uncertain.

"If you're not sure, then come with me, Rishia." He held out his hand as Raphtalia allowed the girl to get up.

"B-but I love Master Itsuki!"

"Then love whoever you want! I don't care!" Naofumi said, eyes burning with passion. "You have a choice, Rishia: do you want to go back up there and jump off the castle walls again and accept that you weren't good enough, or do you stand back up, get stronger than he could ever possibly imagine, and _force_ Itsuki to acknowledge that he was wrong about you?"

She was silent, and he continued. "Don't you want him to say "I'm sorry, I was wrong. Please come back"?"

Rishia's eyes widened as more tears fell. "Do-do you really think he'll respect me one day? Can I really get stronger?"

Naofumi smiled softly. "You'll get stronger no matter what. We'll do whatever it takes."

She took his hand and accepted his party invitation. "Okay...Thank you."

**Rishia Ivyred: Lv 68.**


	17. Chapter 18

**It's time to d-d-d-d-ddddddduel!**

**Sorry for the slower update everyone! This particular chapter took a lot out of me, and I've been adjusting to working from home due to the quarantine. Hopefully I'll get a head start on the next chapter soon, but I've been spending a lot of time reading the Light Novels lately, so that's part of my excuse.**

**In the meantime, let me know what you think!**

"Hello" - Words

'_Hello'_ \- Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech

**As always, feel free to review!**

Later that day, the group met up at a training courtyard within the castle walls. It was a massive space easily double the size of the throne room, built for all sorts of exercises. From combat dummies for weapon practice, to targets for magic practice and a track around the edges, the training room had it all.

Naofumi and his party stretched as they waited for the queen. He busied himself with reading over everyone's status.

'_Okay, so Rishia's stats are actually as low as Itsuki made them seem. But why?'_ he thought. _'We're all around level 82 now, but even when we were in the low 60s we had much higher stats than hers. What the hell was Itsuki doing?'_

Looking through his menu, he mentally sighed. _'She doesn't have any specific areas that she's great at, but none of her stats are any lower than the others.'_

The greenette seemed unsure of herself as she tried to copy what he and Raphtalia were doing for their stretches. "Hey, Rishia."

"Y-yes?" she replied with a jump.

"Don't be so nervous. It's not like I'm gonna bite your head off."

"O-oh, okay."

He sighed again. _'This is gonna be harder than I thought.'_ With a deep breath he asked. "What did Itsuki have you do in his party during a fight?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, Master Itsuki said he needed a frontliner so he could support from the back, so I got put in that role."

Raphtalia chimed in. "So you're a swordsman then?" she asked, bending downward toward her left foot to stretch her legs.

"N-not really..." Rishia looked down sadly, a commonly recurring theme with her that was beginning to annoy Naofumi. "I'm not really good with swords since I always freeze up when I'm in danger. I-I'm pretty good at using magic, though! That was something I was always good at!"

That piqued Naofumi's interest. "Magic, huh? What element do you specialize in?"

"None in particular. Although I can't really use the strongest magic spells out there, I can use pretty much any type of magic."

He had to admit, that sounded incredibly useful. "And Itsuki never had you using magic at all?"

She shook her head. "No, but Master Itsuki is stronger than I am so it made more sense for him to be the one doing most of the damage."

Naofumi growled. "So he used you as bait, then. Tch!" he scoffed. "What the hell were you even thinking, Itsuki?..."

"Ah, you're already here. Wonderful." The door to the courtyard opened fully, revealing Mirellia and a knight in full armor. "While we wait for the others, let me introduce you to our swordmaster."

The knight removed her helmet, allowing her long strawberry blonde hair to fall over her armor. She had a beautiful face, Naofumi could admit, but compared to Raphtalia she was still only above-average.

"My name is Eclair Seatto. I am honored to assist in the Shield Hero's training exercises." she said tersely. With a stiff salute, she looked every bit the stereotypical knight.

Raphtalia's ears twitched. "I'm sorry, but did you say your last name was Seatto?" she asked.

Eclair nodded. "Yes. Until recently, my father was the governor of the land your village was a part of." She bowed deeply. "You have my deepest apologies for not being there to prevent Lurolona's destruction or its residents' enslavement. By the time I had received word of my father's sudden passing, Lurolona was already in ruins."

Raphtalia shook her head. "No no, don't blame yourself for what happened. As awful as it was, at least I know that I gained just as much as I lost." she said, glancing to her master with a smile.

"Regardless, I shall do everything I can to improve your skills. I sense that we will need them."

"Indeed we will." Mirellia said, crossing her arms underneath her bust. "We are fortunate that the Legendary Filolial is willing to handle the coming wave on her own. It gives us over a month to train all of the heroes to the best of our abilities."

"And hopefully we'll have time to start rebuilding in that time, too." Naofumi said.

Eclair and the queen nodded to each other before Mirellia spoke. "I'll take my leave from here to get back to my duties. If we can find some kind of clue, we may be able to make some progress with halting the waves for good."

As the queen left, Eclair evaluated them all with a calculating gaze. "In order to assess your capabilities, would you care for a quick spar?" she offered.

Naofumi shrugged. "I don't see why not. It gives me a chance to see your skills for myself as well." The woman walked over to a rack to pull out a few wooden training swords. She threw one to him and he caught it.

They both took their stances as the others stepped off to the side. "How about we do this without magic or skills?" Naofumi said.

"A battle strictly between swords, then. Very well." Eclair responded coolly. Her eyes sharpened as her focus intensified.

"Umm, begin!" Raphtalia swung her hand down in a chop, signaling the start of the duel.

Eclair took the initiative, dashing forward with surprising speed. She met Naofumi's sword with her own, the wood clacking together with a loud noise. She pressed him back before re-angling her weapon and sliding it down his, aiming for his arm.

Naofumi allowed his weapon to glide down Eclair's own, and used his momentum to spin around her attack. Again, their weapons collided with a distinct crack. As the knight's eyes narrowed further, she seemed to up her pace. Instead of slashes, she opted for thrusts.

Naofumi grimaced as he once again was put on the defensive. _'I have to think of something, fast! She's too quick for me to react!'_ he thought. He noticed the slightest opening as she overextended on one of her thrusts, and he swiped sideways at her weapon rather than her body in an attempt to knock her off-balance.

Rather than lose her footing, Eclair deftly parried the strike and did a small twirl underneath it. In that split second she had her weapon on the inside of the two and Naofumi's on the outside, leaving him vulnerable. 'Shit!' he thought, before he resorted to using his shield to block the coming blow.

Eclair took a quick step backward, slightly winded. "You're not half bad, I'll admit. Most beginners panic when faced with a faster opponent, but you held your own." she said, expression still cold as stone despite the compliment.

Naofumi shook his head. "I also have a shield on my side, so I knew I could use it if things got tough. Doesn't mean I wanted to, though. It's just a reaction. It's my loss, I suppose." he admitted, lowering his weapon.

Eclair did not do the same. "Now that I have a better feel for your skill level, why don't we take this a bit more seriously?"

'_You mean she wasn't already!?'_ Naofumi thought exasperatedly. _'If she was going easy on me, just how skilled is she?'_

"Uh, okay I guess. Same rules as before?" he asked, taking his usual stance with his shield held in front of him and ready to block.

The knight thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No. Since you are the Shield Hero, don't be afraid to use it in battle. This duel is no different. I would prefer it if we continue to abstain from using magic, however."

"That's fine." Naofumi said with a quick shrug and a smirk. "It's not like I can use magic anyway!"

"Wh-"

Before Eclair's eyes could even widen, Naofumi dashed forward with an aggressive charge. Rather than attacking with his weapon, he swiped his shield at her horizontally.

The knight dexterously swiped horizontally, sliding her weapon along the flat end of the shield toward his head. However, he lifted the shield at the last moment. This forced Eclair's weapon arm up and into the air.

With a grunt, he thrusted his own sword at her. She gracefully dodged the strike and instantly slid back into her offense. Eclair feinted once, twice, then once Naofumi lifted his shield she slid her sword right underneath its edge. He barely felt any pain, but the force behind her attack forced some wind out of his lungs.

"Oof!" he grunted. "Damn, you really got me there." he said, lowering his weapon and stepping back.

"Your attack was...unique, but full of openings." Eclair said, gently stabbing the wooden tip of the sword into the dirt with hands on top of the hilt. "I will admit, not many are bold enough to attack with a shield. It managed to catch me off-guard for just a moment."

Clapping was heard from off to the side. They followed the sound to see Ren and his party. "That wasn't half bad, Naofumi." Ren said with an approving glance. "You've definitely gotten used to using that shield in a fight."

Naofumi wasn't even winded due to his high stats. "I had to if I wanted to survive."

"Ha, true. And who is this?" he asked, looking at the strawberry blonde knight beside him.

"My name is Eclair Seatto, and I am here to teach you all how to properly use your weapons. You must be Lord Ren, am I correct?" she introduced herself with a salute. If one paid close enough attention, they would see that she was less formal with Ren than with Naofumi.

He nodded. "That's right."

"Then let's not waste much time. Allow me a few minutes to catch my breath before we begin." Eclair walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. After a few seconds of fanning herself with her hand, Naofumi called out to her.

"Hey, you know you don't have to wear all that armor, right? I'm sure it's hot and stuffy as hell." he said, pointing to his own attire. He was clothed in some form of shorts and a black tank top, showing off everything from his musculature to the slightest hint of the sigil of wrath etched on his chest. It continued to glow with a menacing light that was noticeable even in the light of day.

Raphtalia and Rishia were dressed similarly, though their clothing was obviously more suited for restricting any unwanted mammary movements. Filo didn't have that problem yet, so she merely wore what she usually wore. In all honesty, she probably needed this training the least since she was technically a monster and had natural instincts to work with.

Eclair shook her head. "Nonsense! As a knight, I represent Melromarc and Her Majesty wherever I go. It is a sign of my loyalty and to wear this armor is-" she continued ranting about how amazing it was to be a part of the kingdom and how she loved wearing it all the time. Naofumi's eyes twitched as he tuned her out, allowing her to preach about the glory of Queen Mirellia and all that.

He turned to Raphtalia, who shrugged. "Don't look at me. Queen Mirellia is very kind, but that may be taking things a bit too far." she said, before picking at the shorts she wore. "Though I must admit, I didn't think the tailor would be able to make such high quality clothing from just raw materials and a concept you told her about. Are these clothes normal in your world?"

Naofumi nodded in response. "Yeah, though for yours I was really just basing it on what I've seen. I'm far from a clothing expert."

"Fueeeh. I feel so...exposed." Rishia whined.

"Quit complaining. It's better than sweating through your usual outfit."

Ren chimed in. "Actually, you did a pretty good job explaining the details. The materials aren't the same, obviously, but they serve the same purpose." He was actually wearing similar clothing to Naofumi, though his build was smaller so it didn't look as impressive. Armalis looked every bit the agile and athletic type, while Jugo was a mountain of muscles.

Eclair walked up to them, a slight dusting of red on her cheeks. "Pardon me, I got carried away. But I am ready for the next duel if you are, Sword Hero."

"Yeah, sure." the man responded, using weapon copy to copy the wooden training sword before tossing the original away.

The fight was over in seconds.

Ren immediately went for a vertical slash, which was dodged. Eclair thrusted her blade at his opposite shoulder, but he managed to pull it back just in time. However, this left her weapon laying across his chest for an easy slash that knocked the wind out of him.

Ren backed up, clutching his side with a grimace. "Tch, that wasn't bad." he said.

"Is this truly all you can do? Even Lord Naofumi performed better, and he's the Shield Hero." Eclair said. Although her cold tone made it sound like a taunt, she didn't seem to be judging him.

Nonetheless, Ren scowled. "Fine then. Again."

She sighed. "Very well."

It continued like this few several minutes, with Ren wanting a rematch and Eclair begrudgingly accepting his challenges. The outcome was always the same. The Sword hero was beginning to get frustrated and it showed on his face.

"Ren sure is taking a beating." Armalis said, walking up to the group and crossing her arms. "I've never seen him get so worked up before, though. He's normally a chill guy, so this is weird."

Raphtalia hummed in thought. "Maybe he's just overly competitive?" she thought out loud.

"No, that's not it at all." Naofumi said with a roll of his eyes. "I think Ren's just a really sore loser. He's not a bad person, but he likes to look cool. This has gotta be embarrassing as hell for him."

Jugo grunted as a sign of agreement. "Indeed. He is very driven once he sets his mind to something but it has its downsides."

"How so?"

They were broken from their conversation as a shout of **"Air Strike Bash!"** tore through the air. Eclair was sent flying backward from the attack before collapsing on the ground in a heap. She and Ren were both panting heavily, but he stood above her with his sword pointed at her throat.

"I win." he said simply.

"You would use a skill in a duel with swords?" Eclair grit her teeth as she held her aching side. "Have you no honor?"

"Tch." Ren clicked his tongue and turned away with a scowl.

"What happened here?" Raphtalia asked, walking over to help the knight to her feet. Eclair hissed as her body ached with every movement.

"I merely won using my own sword skills against her own." Ren said. He wasn't smug, but he had regained the calm look he usually had.

Naofumi walked over and stood directly in front of his fellow hero. Because Ren was fairly short, Naofumi towered over him despite only being around 180cm tall. "Ren, what the fuck did you just do?" he asked, coldly.

Ren matched the man's glare with his own. "I won. What else do you want from me?"

Naofumi's chest burned and his scar pulsed, but he ignored it. "You cheated, didn't you? I thought the rule was to use no skills or magic. Are you really so embarrassed that she can beat you? Didn't _I_ beat you myself back before we fought the dragon? You didn't behave like this back then. Why?"

Ren clenched his fists and averted his eyes. Naofumi pushed him roughly, sending the younger boy to the ground. "Why, Ren!?"

"Because I would win in a real fight, that's why!" the Sword hero shouted. "It doesn't matter!"

"**IT DOES MATTER!"** Naofumi roared, grabbing him by the collar of his clothes and lifting his off the ground. His voice now had a double tone, an indication that his demonic power was flowing. **"This whole training bullshit is to make us better! What good is it if we just cheat our way through!?"**

"Naofumi, that's enough!" Raphtalia said, running over and grabbing him roughly be the shoulder. The two men continued to growl at each other for a few seconds before Ren gave a sigh of defeat.

"I get it, okay? I was wrong. It's just..." he said, no longer struggling against the taller man's grip.

"Just _what_?" Naofumi asked, eyes still narrowed. His voice returned to normal.

"I'm sorry, alright! I..." he trailed off with a groan. "I've had some bad experiences with losing in a fight, okay? It's become a natural response for me to win by any means necessary. It's why I try to be prepared for everything beforehand. You never know when something unexpected will come out of nowhere and end up killing you."

Naofumi's eyes softened and he lowered the younger man to the ground. He clutched the scar on his eye with a hiss as the pain caught up with him. "I'm not gonna ask-urgh! Damn that stings!" A small wisp of smoke wafted from the scar. "Just go and apologize or something!"

Ren walked over to Eclair before bowing deeply. "I'm sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to belittle you or your skills, but I..." he trailed off with a sad frown. "I don't handle losing very well."

Eclair regarded him with a glare. "You are pitiful. To dishonor me in a duel then mock me for it is the very height of arrogance. Were you not a hero, I would have defeated you with ease."

When the boy slumped, her glare weakened. "But, I suppose you have enough humility to admit your faults. And I admit that your tenacity in the face of defeat is admirable. If you used that tenacity _productively_-" He flinched at her tone. "-then maybe there is hope for you yet. Now get up. Let me show you about fifteen reasons why your stance alone is wrong."

Naofumi and his party sweatdropped as Eclair began instructing Ren one-on-one in a very strict fashion. The boy tried his best to keep up, but she was vicious. Every time his stance was even the slightest bit off or he wasn't quick enough to react, she whacked him on the head with her training sword.

It probably didn't hurt the man much, but it was like being smacked with a wooden spoon by your grandmother.

"She's...really going all out, isn't she?" Raphtalia asked.

"Fueeeh. I-I hope she isn't that harsh on me..." Rishia said.

"Don't worry too much, Rishia. Let's start with just a run for now, okay?" Raphtalia offered. "I don't think you'll need to learn to use a sword for much, anyway."

"Umm, okay..." the greenette said.

"You join us too, Naofumi."

"Huh? Why do I need to run with you guys?" he asked, earning himself a glare from the raccoon. She tilted her head toward Rishia meaningfully, and narrowed her eyes further to prove her point. Eventually, he sighed. "Fine, let's go."

"We'll join you guys!" Armalis said excitedly. "I feel, like, ten kilograms lighter in this outfit and I want to try it out!"

They ended up running until many of them couldn't move another muscle. Rishia was huffing and puffing within two laps around the courtyard, and Jugo was not faring much better than her. It took four and a half laps for Armalis to tire, and the rest continued their regime for much longer.

After his fifteenth lap, Naofumi wasn't even slightly exhausted. He noticed that Raphtalia and Filo both looked more than capable of running double what they already had. "Alright, I guess that's enough for now. We need to actually train, not just run."

"But what should we do? Eclair is busy with Ren." Armalis said, glancing at the two just as the woman performed a leg sweep. This sent Ren crashing to the ground with a painful _*thud*_. A moment later, a foot kicked him harshly in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"Get up. You are not finished until I say your form is acceptable. I do not care if you only have one arm. Your enemies will not either." the pinkette said with a scowl.

Eclair was one hell of a slave driver, it seemed. The archer girl sweatdropped. "Yeesh. Taking one for the team, for real."

"FUEEEEEEEH!"

They turned at Rishia's cry to see an old woman poking and touching her. "Ohhh yes, yes! You'll be perfect!" the lady exclaimed with a smile. The green haired girl was horrified and trembling like a leaf.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" Naofumi shouted, running over with the rest of the group in tow. Eclair looked away for a moment to see what the commotion was, before deftly sidestepping one of Ren's slashes and disarming him without even looking. He fell to the ground once more, and simply allowed himself to lay there while gasping for air.

"Hoho, yes! I think you're the one to inherit my legacy, little girl!" the woman said, ignoring him completely.

Naofumi reached in and yanked Rishia away from her assaulter. "Inherit your legacy? Who do you think you are, waltzing in and touching someone like that?"

The woman stood to her full height, which admittedly was only around 155cm due to the noticeable slouch in her posture. She looked to be easily in her 80s or higher, which was exceptional since Naofumi had only seen demi-humans of such an age in this world so far. She stood on shaky legs that were assisted by a thick cane, and the woman wore a chinese-style dougi.

The old woman chuckled with a raspy voice. "Oh my name isn't that important, but feel free to call me whatever you like."

"Alright Granny, tell me why you're here and why you decided to violate my comrade?"

"Naofumi!" Raphtalia pinched his arm roughly, and he winced. "Behave yourself! My goodness!"

"Sorry..." he mumbled.

"Hehehe. I remember when I was young and in love too, a long time ago." Granny said, waving her hand dismissively. "Don't get all bent out of shape, young lady. Granny is fine by me, especially if it's the Shield Hero. No need to get all grouchy with your husband."

Raphtalia burned a bright red. "H-he's not my husband!"

"Not yet? A shame, he's quite the looker. And you act like a married couple, anyway."

The raccoon buried her face in her hands, unable to handle the teasing. Her mind swam with visions of a possible future where she and Naofumi were happily married with a daughter. The waves were no longer an issue, and everyone was at peace.

Seeing the steam funneling out of the girl's ears, Granny chuckled again. "Now then, I suppose I'll explain myself. I'm the last practitioner of the Hengen Musou style of martial arts."

Naofumi's eyes widened. "So _you're_ our combat advisor?"

"Apparently, but the only one of you that seems promising is the scaredy cat over there. The rest of you may be average at best." The old woman pointed to Rishia, who cowered behind Raphtalia.

"So what does this martial art style even do?" Naofumi asked, crossing his arms.

Granny chuckled again. "Why don't I just show you so you can understand? I'll have to sit down afterward, though. My age is finally starting to show."

"Fine."

She walked up to him. "Hold out your shield and try to block my attack. You'll see what I mean."

He did as he was told, readying himself for an attack. However, he couldn't help but be skeptical. _'This old lady is really trying to hurt me? I don't want to embarrass her, but there's no way-'_

Granny took a deep breath, gathering in energy until her fist glowed a bright white. "Haaaah!" she cried, and thrust her fist toward his shield.

Immediately upon impact, Naofumi was thrown backward several meters and onto the ground. He picked himself up and winced as his arm felt like it was covered in needles. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

The old woman wobbled once, twice, but before she could collapse Filo sprinted forward in her filolial form. Granny disappeared into the cushion of feathers for a few seconds before her head popped out.

"Woo! I haven't felt so alive in years!" she exclaimed, no traces of exhaustion remaining on her features. "How was that, Shield hero? Still think I'm a weak old lady now?"

He shook his arm to regain the feeling in it. "Not at all. What exactly _was_ that? I don't think I've ever been hit with something like that, and my defense is usually so high that I don't feel it."

"That, my boy, was **Point**. By forcing Ki into your body, I can use your high defense against you."

"But how does it work?" Raphtalia asked with widened eyes. "It didn't look like ordinary magic, and I've never seen Naofumi get hit so hard before."

Granny laughed, wagging a finger. "That's because this isn't magic at all! This is Ki. Think of it like life energy. You have it, I have it, everything has it! Even the earth and water has Ki. However, only a few can really _use_ Ki. I can feel that Greenie over there has more talent than the rest of you combined."

"But how do you use life energy to attack? That seems vague." Naofumi said, crossing his arms.

"If it were simple, there would be more Hengen Musou masters now wouldn't there?" Granny said with a smirk. "However, this is not a place where you can be trained in such a thing. You need to be able to truly connect with the world around you, and one of the only places where that is possible is in the heart of the mountains."

"And how long does it usually take to learn this Hengen Musou style?" Naofumi asked.

"For her?" She pointed to Rishia. "To grasp the basics would take about a month."

'_A month? That's basically all the time we have!'_ Naofumi thought, annoyed. "And what about the rest of us?"

Granny hummed in thought. "Because you're a hero, it is difficult to tell. However, I can sense that your energy is disagreeing with your body. It is waging a war within you, one that may destroy you if left unchecked."

"I'm well aware of that."

"As long as you know..." she sighed. "For most average people, it would take nearly ten years of asceticism to truly understand and master the very basics."

"Ten years!?" he blurted out. "We don't have that kind of time!"

Eclair walked over before sheathing her sword. She and Ren had begun using real swords rather than practice swords. "Greetings. My name is Eclair Seatto, knight of Melromarc. It's a pleasure to meet you in person." She bowed deeply.

Granny waved it off. "Oh don't be so stuffy! I'm just an old woman, after all." She laughed in a carefree manner, but Eclair seemed uncomfortable. "You don't necessarily have any talent for it, but I'd be more than happy to teach you to feel energy if you'd like. Who knows, it may help you with your swordsmanship."

The knight's eyes lit up. "That would be fantastic! I look forward to your teachings!"

Naofumi gave her a deadpan look. "Aren't you supposed to be our teacher too? Don't act like a student all of a sudden..." he grumbled. Raphtalia nudged him with her elbow, effectively silencing any further complaints.

The training was hell on earth, as Naofumi would put it. He lamented the fact that Itsuki and Motoyasu hadn't even bothered to show up, since he would have loved to see them suffer as he did.

After traveling for several days into the mountains, they came upon a small lake hidden amongst the trees and rocks. _'The perfect place to convene with nature, I guess.'_ Naofumi thought at first.

He had no idea how much pain he would endure, though.

As it turned out, **Demonic Resilience** would prove to be a huge hindrance to his learning. Even when he tried his best to avoid using magic in place of this 'energy' the old lady spoke of, it seemed instinctual to do so. Because of this, he wound up dragging his HP below half just by attempting to absorb and release energy.

Healing himself was equally as painful, and even more gruesome to watch. Raphtalia panicked the first time he had cast **Zweite Heal**, especially when his body erupted into a small shower of blood. Even though the wounds healed immediately, the blood remained in a disgusting showing of magic gone wrong.

By the end of the first week, Naofumi had lost count of how many times he had to endure that pain. Granny had practically forced him to stop so he didn't kill himself, telling him he was an idiot to involve himself with dark magic. In the end, she slowly pushed energy through him and tried to have him expel it from his body.

She told him it would help reduce the effectiveness of defense-rating attacks like her **Point**, but he failed to grasp the concept enough to make use of it.

Raphtalia was barely any better, and Filo seemed to naturally use Ki in her own way. Rishia, however, seemed to pick it up like a natural. Although she hadn't mastered it enough to pull off moves like Granny did, she was able to manipulate the energy into small bursts of extraordinary power with the aid of some life-force water Naofumi had learned to make.

Granny had tried to explain energy to him again and he thought it had something to do with SP. However, that wasn't entirely the case. The soul-healing water he was able to make had no effect on anyone who wasn't a hero other than aiding in concentration, but a stop at an apothecary's shop told him there was an alternative.

It was a significantly more complicated potion than either the soul-healing water or his regular potions, and the results were much less impressive. Most had written it off as useless, since all it did was apparently give the user more vital energy. In the end, it was only useful for helping someone concentrate or letting their body heal damage naturally.

When you had potions and magic that could heal life-threatening wounds instantly, such a thing was bound to be unpopular.

Whenever Rishia drank it, she was capable of enhancing her physical capabilities far beyond what one would expect from one of her level. She even became strong enough to knock Naofumi down, which would normally have been impossible for her to do with her below-average STR stat.

However, she had nearly no control over her body while doing so. If she could learn to control that kind of power with or without the life-force water - as he had called it - she would be quite the asset in battle.

Ren and his party were in the same boat as Naofumi, with none of them really understanding how to even feel the energy going in and out of themselves. By the end of that week, only Rishia had made any sort of progress.

Near the middle of the second week, a messenger showed up on a dragon demanding that they return to the castle immediately.

"Wait, I can get us back much quicker than that." Ren said, holding out his weapon.

"How?" Naofumi asked.

"**Portal Sword!"** the man yelled, creating a ring of light around everyone nearby. After a brief moment of weightlessness and a bright light, Naofumi noticed that they were all standing in the summoning chamber.

The same room where his crazy adventure had begun.

"What the fuck!" Naofumi roared. "You mean we can just fucking _teleport_ wherever we want!? And nobody told me!?"

"Naofumi, this really isn't the time..." Raphtalia sweatdropped, laying a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him. He crossed his arms and pouted instead, causing her to sigh.

He grumbled the entire way to the throne room, where they met with the queen. Various advisors and knight captains were running in and out of the room frantically awaiting orders.

"-and don't let anyone stay behind, no matter their complaints! We can't afford to- Oh, you're back already? Fantastic." Mirellia said with a sigh. Her hair was disheveled and her calm aura was nowhere to be seen. "You made remarkably good time."

At that, Naofumi rolled his eyes. Raphtalia sighed, while Rishia cowered from him.

Ren took a step forward. "Perks of being a hero. We can teleport to a few places we've been to once we reach level 50."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's quite something." After the third attempt to push a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she let the entire bun down and held the hairpins in her mouth. While she fixed her purple tresses, she spoke. "Avv I'm ffure you're aware, we have an emervenfy." Her voice was muffled by the pins in her mouth.

Within seconds, she had her hair back in a flawless bun. "Sorry about that. I sent word to inform you that there have been reports of mysterious monsters attacking villages in multiple different countries."

"Mysterious monsters?" Raphtalia asked, eyebrows raised.

"That's pretty vague. There's no better description of them?" Naofumi asked.

The queen shook her head. "We have no dependable reports about them. All we know is that they are monsters that nobody has ever seen before. I have already sent a message to the Spear and Bow heroes requesting their aid with the situation, and have been informed that they are on their way to separate countries to provide assistance."

"They went on their own?" Naofumi clenched his fists at his side. "They didn't even bother to show up to our training! If we have no idea what these things are capable of, wouldn't it have been smarter to travel together at least?"

'_If they die, we're screwed.' _His thoughts trailed back to what Fitoria had told him previously. _"Without the full cooperation of all Four heroes, this world is doomed."_

"We can't just sit here twiddling our thumbs, then." he said with a sigh. "What do we need to do?"

Mirellia took a deep breath to regain her composure. "I have requested the aid of local adventurers to push the monsters back, but I would be much more comfortable having some of you present. With the level of destruction these creatures have caused already, I worry that the average adventurer may not be enough."

"Just tell us where to go, then." Naofumi slapped a map on the table.

"Here's the village where the monsters seem to be just now affecting." Mirellia pointed to a point on the map, far away from many of the other major cities. "With any luck, you'll be able to push them back and discover where they're coming from. Unfortunately, our tentative plan involves throwing all of you right into the thick of it and hoping you can figure this out."

Naofumi shook his head. "Don't worry about it too much. In a way, it's what we're here for."

Raphtalia nodded beside him. "He's right. We can't afford to let average people handle this if it's so dangerous."

Mirellia breathed a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. We have heard nothing from the Bow or Spear Heroes since they left our borders, so I have to assume they are actively avoiding detection."

The Shield Hero clenched his fist at his side. "Don't worry. When I find those two, they'll be thankful I have Raphtalia to hold me back."

They ended up taking the queen's royal carriage toward the village where the monsters were, but not before making a pit-stop at the Dragon Hourglass for Naofumi to unlock the **Portal Shield**. He sneered at the name when he unlocked it, muttering _"Portal Shield conditions met."_ in a sassy tone of voice to himself.

The trip took several days. Whenever they would stop to rest in a nearby village, Naofumi made a point to ask the local innkeepers and tavern owners for rumors from the area.

Most, if not all of them, were of the massive horde of strange monsters tearing its way across the continent. Refugees seeking shelter filled the inns, leaving few to no rooms available for them. The situation was so dire that Queen Mirellia opted to sleep in a tent rather than kick a refugee out of their room.

Naofumi saw her in a slightly different light after he found out. Perhaps she really was a good person at heart, underneath the calm and calculating exterior.

The group was up at the crack of dawn to continue their trip, and despite waking up with Raphtalia in his arms - they chose to sleep together with Filo to save space - he felt exhausted. They hadn't even reached the monsters yet, so the hardest part was yet to come.

Naofumi stretched outside, waiting on the others. It was evident that the stress of the situation was affecting them already, since people were slow to rise. As he stepped one foot onto the carriage, his cape was lightly tugged from behind.

"Excuse me, sir."

He turned around at the voice to see a figure clothed in heavy robes. Even with it being designed to conceal the person's identity, he could clearly see the shape of her almost absurdly large breasts. When he got a look at her face, his eyebrows raised.

'_Who the hell is this?'_ he wondered. _'Something about her doesn't seem normal, but I can't put my finger on it. She's almost..._too_ pretty?'_

"What is it?" he asked with a curt tone.

"You are the one who possesses the shield of the holy weapons, do you not?" she asked. Her voice was very proper, but her tone seemed frantic.

Naofumi rolled his eyes. "Whether it's actually _holy_ or not is debatable, but I am the Shield Hero. Now tell me what you want."

The woman clasped his hand in her own and bowed. Her skin was very soft. "Please, you must destroy me."

"What?" the man narrowed his eyes. "The hell do you mean?"

"As I am now, I cannot complete my task." She looked down with a sad look on her face. "So I must beg one who possesses a holy weapon to help me!"

"You're not making any sense."

She pointed to the sky. "I...I'm up there. Please, stop me. If you do not, there will be much unnecessary death!"

"I said you're not making any-"

"Naofumi!" He turned to see Raphtalia the others waving at him.

"Sorry we took so long!" Filo said in an unusual show of consideration. Maybe Rishia or Raphtalia were finally rubbing off on her.

"You're all slow. We could have been on the road half an hour ago." As he turned back to the woman holding his hand, his eyes widened in shock.

She was gone. Vanished into thin air, as if she never existed in the first place.

"Hey, did any of you see that woman just now?" he asked. Raphtalia and Eclair shared a look and a shrug. Filo tilted her head to the side, and Rishia fumbled with her fingers.

"A woman?" Raphtalia asked. "I didn't see anyone."

"Hmm...nope!" Filo said.

"Feeh...no, I didn't see anyone."

Naofumi shook his head. _ 'That's weird. A random lady comes up and asks me to destroy her, then says she's in the sky?'_ He scoffed. _'May have been one of those mimic-type monsters or something.'_

In the end, they ignored it and continued their trip toward their destination. When they reached the village, it was a disaster.

Vines and plants grew over the walls and the houses, and not a soul was in sight. Filo pointed to the side. "Master, look! There's people!" she shouted.

"HELP! PLEASE!" a man screamed, running away from a small group of flying creatures.

"Get ready everyone! **Air Strike Shield!**" Naofumi yelled. The shield appeared directly in the monsters' path and they slammed into it, momentarily disoriented.

"Got it!"

Raphtalia dashed forward, slicing one of them in half with a single strike. Ren cleaved through one, then another with wide sweeping strikes. Filo kicked one, turning it into nothing more than a cloud of blood. Eclair sliced the wings off of the last one, and it rolled helplessly on the ground.

"Good work." Naofumi said, turning to the trembling man behind them. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes! Thank you so much! After my friends were killed, I thought I was a goner!" the man said. Even though he was relieved, he was still terrified.

"Do you know what these things are, or where they came from?"

The man shook his head. "W-we didn't have any time to react before they were on us! They came out of nowhere, and they come in large groups! Just one of them was hard enough for us to take down, but they just kept coming!"

"Naofumi, come look at this." Ren said, drawing his attention. Before he moved on, the Shield hero turned to the man one last time.

"You'd better get out of here. This place isn't safe for anyone anymore, so find shelter."

"O-of course! Thank you again!" WIth that, the man scurried off.

Naofumi looked at the small creature that the group had crowded around. Without its wings, it looked like a giant eyeball with a turtle shell on its back.

"Even when I absorb one into my sword, I just get that it's a familiar. What about you?" Ren asked, crouching down to examine the monster closer.

Naofumi took a nearby body and did the same.

**-'s familiar (bat type) shield conditions met**

He shook his head. "Nothing here either. Just that I know it's some kind of bat type familiar. It doesn't tell us what the monster really is, just that someone is controlling it."

"That's not good." Eclair said, stabbing her sword into the wriggling eyeball with a grimace. "If someone is responsible for all of this, who could possibly be powerful enough to attack multiple countries at once?"

"I don't know. Filo, can you go deeper into the forest and see if you can't find where these things are coming from?" Naofumi called.

"Yes! I'll be back before you know it!" the filolial said with a salute before speeding off into the forest.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let her go by herself?" Ren asked, eyebrows raised. "These things might not be high level, but we don't know if they're the only things out there."

Naofumi shook his head. "One thing you'll learn by staying with us is that Filo can handle herself. She may be annoying, but she's got the instincts of a monster herself. She'll be fine."

"You really trust your party members, don't you?"

The man snorted. "I had to, otherwise I would have died a long time ago."

Ren didn't have a response for that, but he nodded silently. Several more groups of familiars showed up, but between all of them it was easy to take them down. Within minutes Filo returned.

"Master! I found a thing!" she shouted.

"What do you mean?" Naofumi asked.

"Umm, a whole bunch of those flying things popped out of another monster's body!"

"What!?" Naofumi said in surprise. "Then that means they're multiplying by killing off other monsters?"

"That explains how they're attacking over such a large area, at least." Raphtalia said. "But it doesn't explain why they're here."

"Come on, let's go further into the forest to see if we can't find a nest or something." Naofumi said.

"Wait! I-I think I may recognize these things from somewhere."

They turned as Rishia examined one of the familiars closely. Raphtalia gently laid her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Do you remember where?"

Rishia wracked her brain, and the look of concentration took over her face. "Mmmm...I can't quite remember..."

"If you remember, tell me." Naofumi said. "That may be the key to taking care of this mess."

"Feeeh..." Rishia whined.

"Don't worry too much about him, Rishia. He's rude, but he means well."

"I-If you say so..."

The group followed Naofumi deep into the forest, where the vines were even more concentrated and plant-like monsters began to appear alongside the bat familiars.

Curiously, the familiars were attacking the monsters as well. After holding back and watching, they were able to figure out that the monsters planted eggs into other creatures by landing on them. Shortly after, a group of familiars would erupt from the eggs, generally killing the host.

It was a disgusting thing to watch, but learning more about one's opponent was the key to victory.

After some time, Naofumi and Ren had both unlocked some new shields/swords from the monsters. Many of them had poison resistances and assistance with analyzing plants. Eventually, they came upon a massive tree with a giant eye on it. The eyeball pulsed and writhed in a disgusting way, veins bulging.

"What the hell is that thing?" Armalis asked, repulsed. "That's absolutely disgusting."

Naofumi stepped forward. "Doesn't matter. It's in our way, and it obviously isn't connected to the familiars. Raphtalia, Filo, let's go."

Rishia whined at being excluded, but she merely cowered behind them with her sword in hand. Naofumi wasn't thrilled about that, but he didn't feel like reprimanding the girl after all she'd been through already.

As soon as it spotted them, the tree monster let out a deafening screech. Vines grew rapidly out of the ground, sweeping at their feet and trying to entangle them. Unfortunately for the monster, their levels were so high that they could easily keep walking despite them.

"Leave it to me!" cried Armalis, knocking an arrow and letting it loose. The projectile soared through the air before embedding itself into the eye. The creature screeched in pain, but after a few blinks the eye regrew and healed itself.

"Sis!" Filo cried.

"Yes! I'm ready!" Raphtalia replied, leaping onto the bird's back.

"**High Quick!"**

In an instant, the two were right in front of the eyeball. It widened considerably in surprise as the raccoon plunged her sword directly into it. The screech intensified and the eyeball withered before dying. The tree itself withered and lost most of its color, and the vines stopped growing.

However, as they landed on the ground the tree rapidly regained its color. The eyeball regrew until there was no damage, and the vines tried snaring them once again.

"Damn. It looks like this one regenerates quickly. Naofumi, do you have anything that might get us to its roots? That may be the only way to kill it!" Ren shouted, slicing away another vine that aimed for his sword arm.

"All I've got is this weed killer, so I dunno if it'll be any help! I'll grab its attention! Catch!" He threw it at Ren, who placed his sword handle in his mouth to catch the bottle with his hand.

"**Hate reaction!"**

Naofumi emitted a dark red aura, and the eyeball immediately focused on him. The vines stopped attacking the others, opting to all swarm him at once. Although they wrapped around him and completely obscured him from view, the monster was unable to lift him off of the ground.

He raised his axe high into the air before chopping the vines one by one. They continued wrapping around him, but some snapped in their attempts to stop his movements.

During this time, Ren poured the weed killer on the base of the tree. It screeched in pain, but it wasn't enough to kill it. "No good, Naofumi! Do you have anything stronger!?"

Naofumi broke free and pulled another bottle of weed killer. _'Maybe...'_ he thought, remembering one of his new skills that enhanced his potions. Walking up to one of the roots casually, he uncorked the bottle and poured its contents on the base of the tree.

Its screeches quickly died down before the tree shriveled up and died. The eyeball wilted and fell to the ground with a loud _*thud*_. The vines that were halfway out of the ground halted, withering and turning brown before becoming lifeless.

"Well that wasn't so bad." Raphtalia said, wiping a small amount of sweat from her brow.

"That was booooring! Why are all these monsters so weak?" Filo asked.

"We are awfully high leveled compared to them, so it should be expected." Eclair said, wiping some grime off of her blade before sheathing it. "You should be thankful that we are not struggling to protect ourselves."

"'Kay!"

Naofumi and Ren split the eye in half, allowing their weapons to absorb it.

**Bioplant Shield, conditions met**

**Equip bonus: Plant Reform**

**Special Effect: Hook**

The two looked at each other. "What did you get?" Ren asked.

"Some kind of plant manipulation skill called Plant Reform. What about you?"

"Just extra damage against plants and a greater poison resistance."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? That doesn't seem very balanced."

"It's fine."

'_I think we have a bit of time to try this out, I guess.'_ Naofumi thought. The Bioplant had left a large number of seeds after it died, so they were busy collecting them to ensure they couldn't grow.

The last thing they needed was to have more than one of those things.

Naofumi activated the skill, and a small menu appeared while he held a seed. Stats like Propogation, Production, Vitality, Immunity, Intelligence, Growth, and Mutation showed up.

On the current seed, the only two stats that weren't at 9 were intelligence and immunity. _'Mutation definitely doesn't sound good, so let's set that one to 1. Probably a good idea to set immunity and intelligence to 1 as well, just in case. Ah hell, may as well put them all at 1 except growth and see what happens.'_ he thought.

After a series of beeps, his MP dropped considerably and the stats changed. He planted the seed in a soft patch of dirt, and vines immediately grew from it. He and Ren pulled out their weapons in case it attacked, but the vines quickly withered and died.

"Was that your new skill?" the Sword Hero asked, sheathing his weapon. "It didn't seem very useful."

Naofumi shook his head. "Maybe not. Seems like I can control the Bioplant seeds to an extent, but when I set everything except growth to 1, it died."

"Feeh, m-maybe you could try leaving some of the other stats a little higher?"

The two turned to Rishia, who immediately hid behind Raphtalia at the attention. Naofumi's eyebrows rose. "Don't be afraid to speak your mind, Rishia."

"Umm, okay..." the greenette took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the raccoon. "A plant needs more than just good soil to grow, so maybe it needs something else too? I-I'm no expert, but back where I studied I learned the basics of farming so..."

Naofumi smirked. "So you have some experience with this stuff then? Why didn't you say so?"

She played with the hem of her clothing in nervousness. "Fueeeeh...I didn't think it was important..." she whined. The heroes looked at each other and facepalmed.

"She really doesn't get it, does she?" Ren asked.

"Apparently not." Naofumi responded, before looking at her. "Thanks, Rishia. I think that helps a lot."

She blushed at the praise, but seemed even more self conscious. Naofumi proceeded to set growth to 20 so it would grow quickly, vitality at 5 to help it grow in whatever kind of soil this was, immunity to 4 just so it could survive but not enough that it couldn't be killed with more weed killer, and production to 15 so it would produce fruit.

He set everything else to 1. The last thing he needed was an intelligent, mutated plant that grows everywhere in an instant.

Only a few seconds after he planted it, the seed grew into a moderately sized plant. The group was cautious at first, but once the beginnings of a bright red fruit were shown, they stared at it in awe.

"Is...it safe?" Rishia examined the plant closely. "It seems healthy enough..." She felt the leaves on the plant and nodded to herself in satisfaction.

"It doesn't seem dangerous anyway, which is an improvement." Naofumi said. "Gather up the rest of the seeds. We may find a use for them later."

They did as they were told, and continued on their way. Naofumi and Ren never gained any experience from all the monsters they killed, since they were too close together. But in a situation like this, they felt it was a necessary sacrifice for ensuring everyone's safety.

Along the way, they encountered a much larger familiar, a **-'s familiar (yeti type)**. It was twice the size of an average person, and its back was covered in a turtle shell. Although it was significantly stronger than the bat type familiars, it wasn't too much trouble on its own.

The problem came when it was killed, as a huge horde of bat type familiars spewed out of it like a hornet's nest.

The group did their best to take them all down, but a few of them escaped. Before they could chase them, Ren stopped them.

"Wait up." he said, examining the yeti type familiar's corpse closely. "There's no way! It's way too soon!"

"What do you mean? What's too soon?" Naofumi asked, absorbing the body parts into his shield.

"The shells on the back give it away. I wasn't certain before, since they don't look quite the same as I remember, but these things..." Ren trailed off, tone turning serious.

"These are Spirit Tortoise familiars. The one that's supposed to be sealed right now."

"What!?" Naofumi asked frantically. "You know about it!?"

"Umm! Now that you mention it, that's where I remember these things from!" Rishia exclaimed in an unusual display of confidence. "I read a book about the Spirit Tortoise once! It's supposed to be sealed in a city to the east, but why are these things coming out now?"

"Could the seal have been broken?" Raphtalia asked.

Ren shook his head. "It shouldn't be. If I'm using my experience from Brave Star Online, the Spirit Tortoise shouldn't be unsealed until the heroes are over level 100 at least. And if we're only around level 80..."

"We won't stand a chance." Naofumi's tone was grim. He looked at Rishia. "Does that book say anything about how to seal the Spirit Tortoise? Maybe there's a clue at least."

"Feeh..." Rishia thought hard for a few moments. "I-I can't seem to remember anything in the book about it. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. We can't expect a book to give us all the answers." Naofumi huffed.

The one-armed man nodded. "You're right. We should get back to the village and tell the queen about this. This is big."

They returned to the village that the queen was using as their home base. It had been several days since they set up camp there, but it had quickly turned into a massive military site. Generals and soldiers ran in and out of tents frantically. Carriages full of supplies passed through before rerouting to refugee hubs, and overall the amount of energy in the area was high.

The stress of a global disaster tends to drive people to act, after all.

"I feared that was the case."

Mirellia looked unsettled as she spoke. The gravity of the situation was obviously taking its toll on her. "If the Spirit Tortoise has been released somehow, then the amount of destruction from this could be catastrophic."

"Damn, and we don't even have that much time before the next wave too!" Naofumi bit his finger in frustration before turning to Filo. "Filo, can I talk with Fitoria?"

The blonde girl's cowlick flicked twice before emitting a soft glow. "She says 'what?'"

"I know this is asking for a lot, but can you teleport us to the city in the east where the Spirit Tortoise is supposed to be sealed?"

"Hmm...okay...yup. Nope, she can't do it. She says it's outside of her territory."

"No can do, huh?" Naofumi said with a sigh. "I guess we can't rely on her here. Have we heard anything new from Motoyasu or Itsuki today?"

Mirellia shook her head. "In my message, I requested that they report back every night just to make sure they stayed safe, but..."

"But what?"

The queen's face turned deadly serious. "I was told that the Spear and Bow heroes have left their assigned countries."

"What!? Why would they do that!?" Raphtalia asked. "What about the people they should be saving?"

Ren took a deep breath. "If they're thinking about this in game-world terms, like I would have in their shoes, they're probably jumping at the chance to kill the Spirit Tortoise themselves."

"But that's so reckless!"

"I know, but that's the reality of it."

Naofumi thought for a moment. "That would make some sense. Itsuki seemed pretty pissed that we were suddenly so much stronger than he was, and Motoyasu is overly confident in himself. But if they go against something like this on their own-"

"They may not be able to succeed." Mirellia sat in a chair, letting out an aggravated sigh. "But what would they gain from defeating the guardian beast themselves?"

Naofumi and Ren nodded at each other. "If someone wants to get stronger, it makes sense that they'd go after the toughest monster they can find and kill it for rare drops." Naofumi said. "But do they really think they can do it on their own? They're smarter than that, right?"

"At this point I'm not sure." Ren said, running a hand through his hair. "I know they aren't stupid, but they've got one hell of a grudge against us. Even more against you, Naofumi. They may do anything to show us up."

"We have to do something. Do you have any idea where the tortoise is now?" Raphtalia asked, putting a hand on her master's shoulder.

"If we follow the path of destruction and the way the refugees are coming from, we can assume the Spirit Tortoise is somewhere around here." Mirellia pointed to a spot on the map that was only a day's carriage ride from their village.

Naofumi took a deep breath, setting his hand on top of Raphtalia's own. They shared a soft smile.

"There's no time to waste, then. We ride at the crack of dawn."


	18. Chapter 19

**Welcome to the thunderdome, b*tch!**

**I'll start by saying HOLY CRAP this chapter ended up being REALLY long. I tried to find a place to stop about halfway through, but there really wasn't a good spot. Aaaand ended up writing like 15,000 words in this single chapter. If you can't read it in one sitting, I absolutely don't blame you.**

**If you can? Dang buddy. Either you read really fast or have quite a bit of time.**

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**Also, there's a fanfiction competition going on in the Discord server right now. They'll be posted on April 30th (This Thursday). The top 3 winners are the ones who get the most favorites, so be sure to smash the favorite button on whichever ones you like best! They **_**WILL NOT**_** be posted on our actual accounts, so you won't know who posts what.**

"Hello" - Words

'_Hello'_ \- Thoughts

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**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech

**As always, feel free to review!**

It was a sleepless night for Naofumi. In addition to the thought of having to go up against a mythical monster bent on wiping out the world's population, he couldn't shake the feeling that something even more horrible was going to happen. Raphtalia wasn't much different, though she clung to him tightly throughout the night.

She said his heartbeat helped her relax. It was cheesy, but it made him happy to hear it nonetheless.

Ren had remembered to store some of the pieces of the boss from the wave where Naofumi was missing, and he let him absorb them into his shield. Naofumi was quick to do the same with the small pieces of the golem's core, and the results were appalling.

**Soul Eater Shield: conditions met**

It had some resistances to spiritual attacks as well as an increase to his SP. It also had a small amount of SP recovery and an ability called **Soul Eat**. According to Ren, when he hits an enemy with his **Soul Eater Sword** it saps a target of its SP. Naofumi assumed it would work like a counter since he had the shield version instead.

Since most people and creatures didn't have access to SP in the first place, the most it really did was restore his own SP. It was useful, but it truly shined against other heroes.

Ren received the **Stone Titan's Blade**, which boasted high attack power and earth resistances. It also had an ability called **Earthquake**, which allowed Ren to cause the ground to shake violently. It could be useful for knocking opponents off-balance, but it forced Ren to stay immobile while using it.

"So let's go over what we know." Naofumi said, crossing his arms. "The Spirit Tortoise is on its way through heavily populated areas and shows no signs of stopping. Motoyasu and Itsuki are nowhere to be seen, but we assume they went off after it."

The atmosphere in the planning tent was heavy. Mirellia nodded. "That's right. Based on what we've heard from people fleeing the scene, the heroes arrived after the Tortoise was released."

Naofumi sighed. "At least we know they didn't cause this whole mess."

"That's true."

"But how do we stop something like that? Even with a ton of people, I doubt we could stop something that large from just walking over us." Naofumi said, brow furrowed in concentration.

"I may have something worth mentioning." Ren said, drawing attention to himself. "Even though this may not be completely accurate, some of my knowledge from Brave Star Online might help here. In the game, you have to immobilize the Tortoise to climb on its back. There's a dungeon inside of its body, and you have to destroy the core to win."

"There's a whole dungeon inside of that thing's body?" Naofumi bit his thumb. "Just how big _is_ this thing?"

"And how are we supposed to immobilize it? Any suggestions you have may be of assistance, Mr. Amaki." the queen said. There were relieved faces all around the tent, as they finally had some kind of guidance on how to deal with this threat.

The Sword hero shook his head. "Again, this may not work, but the Tortoise can't be killed unless you destroy the core. The only solution in the game was to kill it, then find your way to the dungeon and kill its core before it heals."

"It regenerates too?" Raphtalia frowned. "This enemy seems to get more and more frightening the more you describe it."

"It is one of the four guardian beasts, after all. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that they're all fully capable of destroying the world on their own." Mirellia said. "But we must do what we can to stop its advance. Luckily, envoys from Siltvelt and the neighboring country are on their way to provide assistance as we speak."

"Siltvelt, huh?" Naofumi mumbled. "I'm surprised they're willing to come to your aid, considering the bad blood between your nations."

"I was surprised as well, to be honest." She gave him a thin smile. "Though I'm sure they're grateful for your assistance during the wave, I suspect it has to be because of you, Mr. Iwatani. From what I know, the council can be a bit...fanatical when it comes to the Shield Hero. They may be trying to gain your favor by providing you some assistance."

"You mean Bird Guy is coming here?" Filo asked excitedly. The queen tilted her head to the side.

"Bird Guy? You must be referring to Mr. Werner, yes?"

"Yeah!"

"Unfortunately, he was unable to come personally due to his position on the Council. A representative is supposed to come in his place."

"Boo..." Filo deflated.

"But wait. If Siltveltians are coming to help, wouldn't that mean-!" Raphtalia started.

"Coming in."

A gruff, deep voice said, before the flap of the tent opened. In stepped none other than Chief Ghorbash, in all of his 2 meter tall glory. He was so tall that he had to slouch a bit just to not touch the top of the tent.

"Ghorbash!" Naofumi exclaimed. His gaze dropped to the orc's younger brother, who smirked at him. "Sho! You're all the way out here? What about your own village?"

The orcs smiled. "Good to see you again, Naofumi. The village goes well, but we heard you have a big problem and came as soon as we could." Sho said. Their clothing made them look much more like anyone else in this world, but their green skin was as distinct as ever.

His speech was no longer difficult to understand. He must have gotten someone from Siltvelt to properly teach him the language.

"Ah, Chief Ghorbash. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance in person." Mirellia said with a smile and a bow. "I am Mirellia Q Melromarc, the queen of Melromarc."

The tall orc gave the clan's signature salute with a fist across his chest. "The pleasure is mine. It was quite ambitious to request a coalition after recent international events. We orcs respect that courage greatly."

"I do what I can to fix our past mistakes, so your praise is appreciated." She smiled at them. "Now then, let us wait for the other strategists and generals to arrive so we can finalize a plan."

The two leaders began discussing things such as history and infrastructure techniques, something that Naofumi didn't expect Ghorbash to know so much about. He had obviously been busy since arriving in an unexpected world, learning everything he could about what was going on.

Had the orcs been so resourceful and knowledgeable back in L'arc's world? It was hard to imagine them not being a major political power with a leader like this.

Sho caught up with Naofumi and the rest of the group. He regretted not being able to assist in the battle against the pope. Humans had never been fond of orc clans in their own world, so a man who preached human supremacy was like their worst enemy. The topic of Balmus was a sore one for Naofumi, but he forced his anger down as best he could.

They only had to wait a few hours for the other generals to arrive, but the negotiations were anything but coordinated.

"What do you expect us to do against something like that!?" a commander said. All of the soldiers wore expressions of doubt.

"Have we heard anything from the Seven Star Heroes!?" another asked.

Mirellia shook her head. "I sent word for them, but it may be some time before any of them arrive."

"We have to do what we can, otherwise everyone is going to die." Naofumi said with a slight glare. "According to the legends, the Spirit Tortoise protects the world but sacrifices its inhabitants to do it. If you want, you can roll over and let it kill you. It's one way to save the world."

The soldiers were flabbergasted. Ghorbash eyed the hero curiously. "If we had similar legends from our world, we orcs were not aware of them. The humans of our world were constantly at war, and we did not manage to secure any alliances with them. They may have more details than I."

Ren stepped forward. "What we need to do is simple, but it'll be difficult." he said, taking charge. His confidence seemed to be returning little by little. "Since we're heroes, we stand the best chance of stopping the Spirit Tortoise's advance. If we can keep it from moving, we can get in there and attack its heart before it regenerates."

The commander from earlier pointed a finger at him. "And just how are we supposed to trust you, anyway!? The other two heroes couldn't even scratch that beast, and you expect us to just trust you!?"

"Then don't." Naofumi said simply. "We're here to save your world from complete destruction, and that's what we're going to do. It's normal to be afraid of something like this, but don't let that stop you from saving everyone you can. You should all be prioritizing the evacuation of the villages and towns, anyway."

"He's right." Ren said with a sigh. "Normal people have enough trouble just dealing with the familiars. If you all can handle that, and make sure there's nobody near the Tortoise while we're fighting it, we should be able to at least slow it down."

Mirellia unfolded the fan in front of her face, hiding it from view. "We will provide support magic from afar. We have a variety of skilled mages among our ranks, but there are only so many of us."

"Unless we can handle some of its attacks, it may not make a difference whether we have support or not." Naofumi admitted. "Assuming we can, our time limit is essentially how long you all can keep up the support. Though in my case, healing isn't an option."

"What do you mean, Mr. Iwatani?" the queen narrowed her eyes.

He pulled the collar of his shirt down to reveal the sigil of wrath. "This. My curse prevents me from being healed by anyone other than myself. I can still receive buffs, but healing has to be done by me and me alone."

"H-he's a demon!" cried one of the generals. "The Shield Hero is a demon after all!" This elicited frightened whispers among the soldiers.

Naofumi just closed his eyes with a sigh, not willing to refute that fact. Mirellia tried calming them down, but failed. Ghorbash grunted, evaluating the man's expression carefully.

Ren nodded. "He has to resort to some kind of black magic to heal himself. It's...pretty gruesome to watch. As far as I've seen, though, he's not a bad person." The boy shivered slightly.

"How can we trust our safety to a demon!? You must be out of your mind!"

"He's just as likely to kill us as the Tortoise!"

"I heard he murdered a ton of Three Heroes Church followers not long ago."

His sigil was burning as the deep-seeded hatred boiled beneath the surface. _'Can't go on a rampage now! They're not wrong, but it's not like I did any of that on purpose!'_

Naofumi grit his teeth. _'Dammit! I knew something like this was going to become a problem. I knew I'd end up hated for all of that! Hell, I hate myself for it! I can't stand it, I just wish it would all go away...!'_ He clenched his chest with his hand, breathing heavily as a dark aura began to surround him.

"Silence!" Mirellia slammed her hand down upon the table, shutting them up. "If you want to die, then be my guest! Run away with your tail between your legs! This demon, no...this _hero_ is willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of this world. Is that not enough for you?"

The silence was heavy, and Ren shook his head. "Just what is a hero, anyway?" he mumbled, though it was easily heard by everyone there.

"What?" a soldier asked.

"I said, what is a hero?"

"W...well..." the man stammered.

"A hero is someone who has strength and uses it for justice. A hero is someone who's brave." Ren answered for himself. Naofumi, still gasping for air, sprinted out of the tent without a word.

Ren shook his head. "Naofumi may be half demon, but he really does just want to help people. I made the mistake of not trusting him before, and it nearly cost me everything. In the end, you should be glad that he's on our side. I'm not sure just how much power he has, but if anyone can stop the Tortoise and save those countless lives, it would be him."

"A curse, though? He's been through quite a bit, it seems." The chief crossed his arms. "Our warriors can help handle the familiars and round up the civilians. Our wolves are trained for herding cattle, so it should work just the same. Clan Ghorbash is with you."

"I...I guess we have no other choice." the commander from earlier slumped. "I'll put my faith in the heroes one last time."

Some of the soldiers nodded but refused to speak up lest they incur the wrath of the queen. Mirellia snapped her fan shut. "That settles it, then. The Sword and Shield hero and their parties will attack the Tortoise head-on to stop its advance, while everyone else focuses on either support or evacuation. Any objections?"

After a few seconds of silence, Mirellia sighed. "Very well then. We'll assign groups to aid in evacuation or extermination in various areas. Mr. Amaki, see to Mr. Iwatani, if you would."

"Right."

Ren walked outside, looking for his fellow hero. He found him crying into Raphtalia's chest as she held him tightly. He seemed to be in pain, but figured the raccoon could do much more good for the man than he could himself.

'_Naofumi...you'd better be okay. We need you for this.'_

It took nearly three days to reach the Spirit Tortoise. The mountains on its back were visible over the horizon halfway through the journey, but its sheer size was even more incredible up close. The group stopped for a moment in front of the beast to drop off the support casters before continuing onward. They would be needed to keep the blockade party - as they were named - strong and healthy, so they were practically on the outer limits of support magic range.

"Alright Filo, you know what the plan is right?" Naofumi asked her. The filolial pulling the carriage nodded.

"Uh-huh! We're gonna go kick that big turtle's butt!" she exclaimed.

Eclair sweatdropped. "I only hope it'll be that easy..." she mumbled.

"If things get dicey, we'll need you to get us out of there okay Filo?" Naofumi said.

"Ooooookay!"

Everyone was on-edge. Their enemy was right in front of them, but still the other two heroes were nowhere to be seen. The ground shook with every one of its steps.

Naofumi shook his head. _'No time to worry about those two right now. We need to focus on surviving. It might be the only thing we _can_ do.'_ he thought.

The Tortoise's head swiveled toward them slowly, and its eyes locked onto them.

"**!"**

With a bellowing roar, the earth shook even more, and everyone had to cover their ears to protect themselves. A massive swarm of bat-type familiars flooded the skies, coming straight for them.

"Look alive, everyone! It sees us!" Naofumi yelled. "Filo, keep the carriage back here in case we need it for an escape!"

"Yep!" She unhooked herself from the carriage as everyone jumped out.

Naofumi took the initiative. **"Hate Reaction! Shooting Star Shield!"**

He was covered in a red aura and a spherical barrier surrounded him. The swarm of monsters focused on him. "Alright, I'll grab their attention! You all take them down!"

"Right!"

"Okay! Here I go!"

Raphtalia, Eclair, Ren, and Filo charged into battle. Armalis picked off monsters where she could with her bow. Jugo played the part of an off-tank, paying close attention to the others and intercepting any stray familiars that focused on them rather than Naofumi.

The monsters all shot heat beams out of their eyes, but they weren't powerful enough to break the barrier. _'Looks like that DEF boost from Demonic Resilience may come in handy, after all.'_ he thought. _'Can't hurt to be careful, though. This is gonna hurt.'_

"**Zweite Aura!"** he shouted. His stats jumped in value, but he immediately felt the stinging pain that now came with casting magic. It was about a tenth of his HP, but it was worth the possibility of not taking damage at all from having a much higher DEF stat.

"**F-First Guard!"**

He was enveloped in a bright light once more, and his DEF stat rose even higher than before. Rishia may not have had much to bring to the table without mastering Hengen Musou yet, but she knew how to make herself useful.

"Hiya!" Raphtalia slashed through a familiar, then another one on the way back to the ground. Their bodies turned into black and white balls that flew toward other monsters, destroying them.

"Not bad, Raphtalia! Let's see if I can't teach you something else!" Eclair yelled, swinging twice in quick succession to create a cross with magic power. The cross flew forward, cleanly slicing through any monster in its path.

The two landed near the same spot and their attacks seemed to synchronize. Many of the monsters around them were dead, but they kept coming.

Ren leapt into the air before thrusting his weapon forward. **"Hundred Swords!"** he cried, creating a massive number of spectral swords that flew toward his opponents. Many missed, but just as many managed to hit a target. Monsters fell from the sky in droves, littering the ground with bodies.

"Good work so far, everyone! Keep it up!" Naofumi shouted. They were holding out for now, but it should be expected considering how weak the familiars were.

Their numbers were beginning to be a problem, though. If they couldn't focus on the Tortoise itself, their chances of victory were extremely slim.

"**!"**

The Tortoise roared at them, lifting a foot.

"Shit, everyone get behind me!"

They managed to get behind him before the foot swung forward. It collided with the Shooting Star barrier, shattering it into pieces. As soon as it came in contact with his shield, Naofumi's arm flared with pain.

"Ugh!"

Even with his incredibly high DEF stat, the blow hurt. He was pushed back several meters, but with everyone pushing back against him he managed to stay upright. After a few seconds, Naofumi managed to force the foot back.

"Is - _*Huff* -_ is everyone alright!?" he shouted.

"Yes! How about you?" Raphtalia shouted back.

"I'll live!"

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Naofumi used his **Shooting Star Shield** again. Almost immediately, lightning bolts appeared from the sky to strike at the familiars. They chained from one monster to the next, killing them instantly. Within an instant, a large number of the familiars were gone.

"Now's our chance! Attack the head!" Ren yelled, charging back into the fray. **"Shooting Star Sword!"** With a swipe, a large number of stars shot from his blade toward the Tortoise's head.

"I'll help! Haaaaaa!" Eclair leapt forward, thrusting her blade across the beast's neck. Despite the large gushes of blood, the wounds healed in seconds.

Naofumi panted, out of breath. _'I managed to stop one of its attacks, but barely. I need to heal, but I can barely concentrate! If I go down, the others won't make it! C'mon stupid body, move!'_ he thought frantically. His body protested and his mind could barely focus enough to cast a spell.

"**Zweite Heal!"** He flinched as blood erupted from his body and his lungs failed to take in air. He gasped, falling to his knees.

"Naofumi!" Raphtalia broke off her attack to rush back to him. "Naofumi, stay with me!" She panicked as his eyes glazed over. It took several seconds of waving a hand in his face for him to fully regain himself.

"**!"**

The Tortoise roared again, but this time a bright glow moved from its stomach to its throat.

"I don't like the look of that! Get behind me if you feel like surviving!" Naofumi shouted, and everyone did as they were told. A ball of energy formed in the Spirit Tortoise's mouth before it fired, sending an intense wave of electrified particles toward them.

Mustering up every ounce of strength he had left, Naofumi screamed out his skills. "**First Shield! Second Shield! Dritte Shield!** **Shield Prison!**"

A wall of shields lined the Shooting Star barrier, and three more shields extended in the beam's path from there. He considered himself lucky that the **Whale Heart Shield** that he received from the boss at Cal Mira gave him the **Dritte Shield** ability, as it gave him yet another layer of defense.

He would need it for something like this.

The beam slammed right through the first and second shields, broke the third after only a moment, and it pushed against the shield prison with an unbelievable amount of force. Naofumi grit his teeth as the wall of connected shields shattered, then the shooting star barrier.

As soon as the particles hit his shield, he realized something.

Any pain he'd felt before was nothing compared to this.

It felt like his arms were being torn out of their sockets and his skin was melting. Regardless, he kept standing. _'I can't afford to lose here! Everyone is counting on me! But dammit this hurts so much!'_

He was beginning to lose consciousness, but he managed to hold on. After what felt like the longest couple of seconds, the beam subsided. Naofumi fell forward onto his knees gasping for air. His body was sizzling and the armor on his arms was gone. His skin was darkened, as if he had spent a few too many weeks standing out in the scorching sunlight without protection.

"Naofumi! Can you stand!?" Raphtalia asked. He didn't move, and she looked to the others in panic. "I don't think he can handle another one of those! Should we retreat!?"

"We may not make it if we tried! Not with an attack like that!" Armalis said, letting loose one arrow after another. Even if they pierced the Tortoise's skin, the wound closed instantly.

Their attacks simply weren't doing enough damage.

"Naofumi!" Ren knelt down beside him. "Naofumi!" he shouted before slapping the man's face. Naofumi still didn't react, and the Sword hero clicked his tongue. _'Shit, if only we had Motoyasu and Itsuki here this may have gone differently! Even if we just had their power up methods we'd be in much better shape than this!'_

After a few seconds of mental debate, he stood up. "Alright, fuck it! If Naofumi can live with being a half-demon, then maybe being half-dragon is worth the risk!" he exclaimed.

"Ren, no!" Raphtalia cried, but the man had already dashed out on his own. "Don't be so reckless!" As he ran forward, she gave her master a look of panic. _'If only we had more time, I could use my __**Directional Sword of Heaven**__!'_

Ren stared the Spirit Tortoise in the eyes. "I've lost my companions once, and I nearly fell into despair. I will not allow it! You will not take them away from me!"

He raised his sword high into the air as it gathered energy. "_I call upon the power of the great dragon. Grant me the strength to burn my enemies to cinders so that I may protect the ones who believe in me! Let there be nothing but hope in my path!"_

Flames erupted from his body, and he flinched but continued his incantation. The flames changed colors from red, to blue, then to a bright white. _"Sacrifice my body to be the sword that fights for the world! Show them why dragons rule both heaven and earth!"_ The flames were sucked toward his sword, forming a blade made of pure white fire. It extended far beyond what a regular sword would be, nearly five meters in length.

"**!"**

The Tortoise's roar alone was powerful enough to fling everyone back, but Ren stood fast. His own power flared. Where he once had black armor, now it was bleached a bright white. Even his hair looked white compared to its usual color.

"_Be purged by dragon's fire! __**BRILLIANT CATACLYSM!**__"_

He brought his weapon low to the ground. With a final shout, he dragged the flaming sword into an uppercut. The blade carved right through the Spirit Tortoise's head, leaving a dark red line. All was still for a moment, before the white flames exploded from the ground. The fire was so bright that nearly every bit of light was sapped from the surroundings.

It was as if the sun had fallen as a pillar of shining flames shot into the sky. The Tortoise's roars of pain were drowned out by the intense explosion. Its shockwaves were even enough to crack the earth beneath their feet. The nearby ground caught fire.

When the blaze died down, the entire head of the Spirit Tortoise was missing. White flames continued to burn the remnants of its neck, cauterizing the wound and vaporizing its blood instantly.

The group was silent as the Tortoise's legs gave out, allowing the body to slam into the ground with a massive boom that shook the earth. After waiting a few moments to make sure it wasn't going to regenerate, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Did...we win?" Armalis asked in disbelief. "Did we seriously just do that?"

The silence was broken as Ren fell face first into the ground, unconscious. Eclair ran to him, checking his pulse. "He's alive, but his heartbeat is weak. He needs medical attention, and quickly! His body is freezing!"

Raphtalia lifted her master by slinging one of his arms over her shoulders. "Hnng! Naofumi is in pretty rough shape as well! He's not responding! We should get back to the queen and the support group! Filo, go get the carriage! Hurry!"

"Okay!" she ran off. Jugo ran over and helped Eclair lift Ren off of the ground, and Rishia did her best to take some of Naofumi's weight off of Raphtalia. Even the minute it took to retrieve the carriage felt far too long.

"I'm back!" Filo exclaimed, running up beside them.

They all loaded into the carriage, with Naofumi leaning against Raphtalia to stay upright. Ren was laid down in the center of everyone and covered with a thick blanket for warmth. The raccoon looked between them with concern.

"You two are such reckless idiots..." she mumbled. "Do heroes exist just to make us worry so much?"

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Eclair frowned. Ren's face was twisted in pain and his skin was even more pale than usual. "We all saved a lot of lives today, thanks to them. Standing up to a creature like that..."

"It really makes you believe in the legends." Jugo said, looking at the Spirit Tortoise's corpse. The white flames could still be seen even at this distance.

The rest of them nodded in agreement as Filo sprinted back to camp with all the speed she could muster.

'_Master...Sword Guy...Please be okay!'_

They arrived back at camp to the cheers of the soldiers, but as soon as they stopped Filo yelled. "Get somebody who can help, quick! Master and Sword Guy need help!"

The cheers immediately stopped as the situation became grim once again. Soldiers and mages scattered, and the queen quickly approached the carriage.

"You four! Set up a mat right here!" she shouted to a nearby group of soldiers. They saluted and ran into a nearby tent, bringing out two bedrolls which they unrolled.

Raphtalia and the others pulled Naofumi and Ren out of the carriage, gently laying them onto the cots. "Naofumi isn't responding, and Ren is unconscious from using the dragon's power!" 

Mirellia bit her thumb for a moment before placing her hand on Ren's body. "Damn, I was hoping it wouldn't come to that. **Drifa Heal!**" A bright light enveloped him, and some color returned to his face. His expression relaxed.

"There. He should be fine with a bit of rest, but..." She looked to Naofumi, whose eyes were still blank. They were still open, but there was no light in them. "Mr. Iwatani is a different story. I'm not sure if there's anything we can do..." she trailed off sadly.

"Naofumi..." Raphtalia's ears flattened against her head as she gently rustled the man's hair. _'He'll be okay...I hope...'_

If there was one thing Raphtalia knew she hated with all of her heart, it was being forced to watch as someone she loved suffered without being able to do anything about it.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance."

Everyone's head turned to the side as a tall figure appeared out of nowhere. She was clothed in a green cheongsam and had shiny brown hair. Her eyes seemed strange, and she carried herself with an unnatural grace.

"It's you...!" Raphtalia's eyes widened.

"Why are you here?" Mirellia didn't attempt to mask her disdain for this new woman, and it showed on her face. "If you don't mind, you're interfering with the heroes and their recovery."

"I believe I can assist with that. This is partially my fault, after all." She approached and held her hand to Naofumi's head. _"I, Ost Horai, command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and spit up blood. Oh great strength, I command you - heal his soul!"_

"**Soul Light!"**

With a green glow surrounding him, Naofumi blinked. His eyes regained their glow and he clutched his head.

"Uughhh..." he groaned.

"Naofumi!" Raphtalia cried. "Are you alright!? You weren't responding for so long that I got worried!"

"R-Raphtalia...?" he mumbled. "What...happened?..."

"We defeated the Spirit Tortoise, for now." Mirellia said, making him turn his head to look at her. "We've already sent the investigation teams to explore the mountainous region on its back for any path to the heart."

"Good...Ugh, I feel like shit..."

Eclair huffed. "Yes, well, you did take two full attacks from a creature the size of a small country. You are lucky you're still alive, as are we all." Her arms were crossed, but she had a soft smile on her face.

"Perhaps I can explain further." Ost approached, and Naofumi tried to sit up. However, his body refused to cooperate. Raphtalia helped him sit up, and he clutched his chest in pain.

"Urgh! Hold on a sec." he said before taking a few deep breaths. **"Zweite Heal!"**

Blood spurted from his arms and he flinched while everyone else cringed. No matter how many times they saw Blood Magic in action, the result was never pretty. However, his wounds healed and he seemed more comfortable than before. "Sorry about that. Who are you?" Naofumi asked.

Ost evaluated him closely. "Interesting...So the one within the shield of the holy weapons has influenced you, and this prevents you from receiving aid."

"That's right. You're looking at a bona fide half-demon."

She sighed. "That may make this very difficult, then. My name is Ost Horai, and I believe we-" she turned to Raphtalia and Filo, "have already met once before."

"Already met? You mean...you're the person who saved Raphtalia and Filo against the pope?"

Ost nodded, arms crossed under her large bust. "That is correct. Though that information pales in comparison to what I must tell you. You _must_ destroy my true body."

"True body?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "You're that lady from earlier too, then! What does that even mean?"

The woman pointed toward the corpse of the Spirit Tortoise. "That is my true body. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am a Spirit Tortoise Familiar (human type)."

"What!?"

"It is true. My purpose is to harvest souls, so that it may use them to create a barrier to stop the waves. It does not matter if they are human or monsters." Ost frowned. "However, someone has taken over my body somehow. He plans to use those souls for some other purpose, but I am not sure what that is."

"So the legends are true..." Rishia said in awe. "The four guardian beasts exist to protect the world, but at the cost of everyone living in the world..."

The tall woman nodded sadly. "You are correct. I, along with the other three guardian beasts, exist to stop the waves. Though the price for that protection is steep, it is necessary."

"So the fact that you're here now means the Spirit Tortoise isn't truly dead, is that right?" Mirellia said, standing and looking the other woman in the eyes.

Ost sighed. "You are correct, Your Majesty. As we speak, my true body repairs itself."

"How long do we have before it fully heals?" Raphtalia asked.

"We are fairly close to a major source of energy, so I estimate that my true body will resume its movement within a week."

"Only a week, huh..." Naofumi's brow furrowed. "That doesn't give us much time to find a way to the heart. Filo."

"Yeeees?"

"Can you contact Fitoria for me?"

"Sure!" Filo concentrated for a few moments, and her cowlick flicked. "She said 'what'?"

"I know this is asking a lot, but can you handle keeping the Spirit Tortoise occupied while we're searching for its heart? We only have a little time to recover and find the dungeon, and I'm worried about what it'll do while we're inside."

"Hmm, okay... She says she'll head over as soon as she can, but she'll be cutting it close."

Naofumi sighed in relief. "We'll just have to hurry then. Tell her thanks; I'll owe her one."

Ost eyed the group carefully. "Though I know roughly where the entrance to the cave is, I'm afraid any further assistance will be limited to support. I can use advanced magic and interfere with the other familiars."

"Oh yeah? What kind of magic do you have? I didn't expect you to be such a powerful person, considering you were nothing more than a mistress for a king." Mirellia asked.

"My magic is diverse, with some spells being forgotten by humanity long ago. I shall do everything within my power to aid those who wield the holy weapons."

Eclair glared at her. "And how can we trust you? You are the Spirit Tortoise's familiar, so surely you would not support the ones who would kill you."

The brunette woman shook her head. "Normally that would be true. But if we do not stop the man who has taken control of my true body, then all of the people who have already sacrificed their lives would have died for nothing. Even death is greater than loss of purpose. Please, you must help destroy my true body!"

Naofumi noticed how earnest she looked as she begged, and he sighed. "I guess we have no other choice but to trust you, then. At least for now."

"Thank you, wielder of the Holy Shield."

"Just call me Naofumi or Shield Hero. 'Wielder of the Holy Shield' is too long."

Ost cracked a smile. "Very well then, Shield Hero. I, too, will put my trust in you."

It took several hours for Ren to awaken, and a day for the investigation group to return. Somewhere in the mountains was a ruined city, presumably from an ancient civilization. After recovering physically and mentally, the group departed for the Spirit Tortoise's body.

The head was slowly regenerating, but it would still take some time to completely recover. Naofumi decided he had no other choice but to trust in Ost. If she decided to betray them, he wouldn't feel bad about killing her in the slightest since her 'true body' was technically their enemy.

He noted that the timer for the next wave had stopped, and a blue hourglass with the number 7 had appeared next to it. He wasn't certain what that meant at first, but Ost had clarified that the hourglass referred to the amount of souls gathered. The higher the number beside it, the more difficult the wave would be.

If the Spirit Tortoise was considered a level 7 wave, just how high could that number go? He was afraid to find out.

"We're almost there; just a bit further and we should see the city." Ost said, leading the way. The rest of the group followed closely behind.

"Are you sure? We've been walking for what feels like hours." Armalis complained. They actually had been traveling through the mountainous region on the Tortoise's back for several hours, so her complaint was valid.

"Yes, I am sure of it."

Within another half hour, the city came into view. Massive spikes were growing out of the ground. Some of them pierced through the stone buildings, making the entire place seem like a ghost town. The fact that nobody else was there was no surprise.

'_Probably got attacked by the familiars as soon as the Tortoise was released. Such a shitty way to go out. They probably didn't even know their city was built on the back of a monster.'_ Naofumi thought as he slid down the cliffside to enter the city.

They wandered through the ruined streets, and the eerie silence only added to the creepy atmosphere. Ost turned to them. "Unfortunately, I only know that the cave is near this city. It's exact whereabouts are unknown even to me." she admitted guiltily.

"Why's that? It seems weird that you wouldn't know this place like the back of your hand, considering it's...well...you." Ren asked.

Ost shook her head as she led them into what looked like a shrine. "Do you know every inch of your own body by memory? It is similar to that, except my true body is much more massive and complex."

"Makes sense..."

Naofumi turned to his raccoon companion. "Hey Raphtalia, can we get a little light in here?"

"Sure. **First Light!**" After raising her hands in the air, a ball of light appeared. The room was illuminated, revealing all sorts of ancient pottery and artifacts.

"Woah, take a look at some of this stuff." Naofumi picked up a vase that had a thick layer of dust on it. He brushed away the dust with his hand, revealing an extremely intricate design beneath. "Think we could sell this for some cash? I bet there's a collector out there who'd pay a fortune for these things."

"Put that down this instant!" Eclair shouted at him. "How could you possibly defile the culture of such a sacred place with petty thievery!?"

Ren glanced at her. "It's not like anyone here is alive to appreciate them."

"That is beside the point!"

Naofumi put it into his inventory when he thought the strawberry blonde wasn't looking. Raphtalia facepalmed, knowing exactly what his plan was. "Naofumi, put it back."

He groaned at being caught. "Aww, but why? If we're not the ones to do it, someone else will. Why give up free profits because of morals?"

"Well, when you put it that way..._*sigh*..._ Just...do whatever you want then."

A small commotion outside drew Eclair's attention. Apparently, some of the soldiers that accompanied their group had split off and planned to do exactly what Naofumi suggested they would. She ran off, and Naofumi had Filo follow her to form the temporary Morality Police.

Eclair was the only one out of the two that probably cared, but Filo would go along with pretty much anything if it was interesting enough to keep her attention.

'_Good riddance. The last thing we need is a second Itsuki on our hands.'_

They didn't end up finding the cave that day, so they teleported back to Melromarc to rest and gather their forces. Ost stayed with them as well, though she tended to follow Naofumi around like a lost puppy.

Raphtalia wasn't very happy about it. When she asked, the Spirit Tortoise familiar explained that she had some kind of direct connection to the Holy Shield that called to her.

Although they continued searching for the next few days, they still did not find the tunnel that would lead further into the Tortoise's body. When you have such a large area to search through, it was difficult to know where you've already checked.

It also didn't help that the area was beginning to change shape. As the Spirit Tortoise regenerated, massive spikes similar to the ones in the city began to sprout from the ground. This not only made it significantly more dangerous, but they would occasionally come to life as Spirit Tortoise Familiar (spike types).

Thankfully, Ost's abilities allowed her to immobilize the familiars and absorb their energy. Naofumi felt like he made a good choice in bringing her along.

Nearly the full week had passed before the cave to the Tortoise's heart was found. The Tortoise's head had fully regenerated, but it had yet to move. Ost mentioned that it had something to do with drawing on the energy within the earth, but was vague about the details. She did, however, make sure to note that it would not be long before it began to move once again.

After sifting through the massive pile of reports from the investigation teams, Naofumi and Ren came across something interesting.

"Naofumi, come look at this. Look familiar?" Ren said, handing him a specific sheet of paper that looked like a sketch.

"No way..."

Rishia looked between the two men in confusion. "Feeeh...Can you two read that? They apparently found it in one of the temples on the Tortoise's back, but nobody could read it." she said in interest.

"This is Japanese. I never would have thought we'd see it here of all places." Naofumi said with wide eyes.

"You mean the language from your world? What does it say?" Raphtalia asked, leaning forward over her master's shoulder.

Most of the words were either part of a crumbled section or too worn to read properly, making it difficult to read.

"I don't know for sure. Japanese characters can mean different things depending on who says them because the translations can change over time. So someone using the same characters from a hundred years ago might mean something completely different than I would." Naofumi said, inspecting the sketch closely.

"Goal is...waves...world...prevent?" Naofumi scratched his head. "That sounds like information we already know at this point. If Ost is right, the Spirit Tortoise exists to protect the world with some kind of force field."

"That doesn't tell us anything, though. And we may not even be translating it properly." Ren said, taking the page back. "Could it mean that it's trying to prevent something that happens _because_ of the waves?"

"I'm sorry...I don't know the language." Rishia looked down with a depressed frown.

"Oh well. Maybe we'll find something else while we're up there."

Naofumi decided that they needed a relatively specialized group to infiltrate the dungeon, and Mirellia herself chose to join the group despite the dangers. As soon as they entered the cave, they were attacked by a large number of Spirit Tortoise familiar (yeti types). They did not last long against the coalition's infiltration team.

Meanwhile, Fitoria was still on her way. She had dealt with a wave far to the east past Siltvelt, and was unable to teleport to this specific location because it was out of her jurisdiction.

Naofumi hoped she would make it in time. If the Spirit Tortoise resumed its rampage while they were inside, there was nobody capable of stopping it again. Especially if Ost's hunch that it was becoming even more powerful was correct.

The winding corridors eventually led them to a large room shaped like a dome. Since they were unsure where to go from there, the group set up a temporary base of operations there. Naofumi and the queen laid out a map of the dungeon.

"So, which direction do we need to go?" he asked.

Mirellia shook her head. "I can't be certain. The hallways aren't the same as they were for the advance group. It's almost as if they're moving."

Naofumi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch. Even when we know what we're doing, things can't be easy. And we still haven't heard from Motoyasu or Itsuki, so who knows where the hell they are."

Ren walked over to them. "The soldiers seem exhausted. Maybe we should go on ahead without them for now and come back later?"

The queen bit her thumb, brow furrowed. "It's a tough choice. If we leave them here unprotected, the familiars may be more than they can handle. On the other hand, the hallways get more narrow the further we go. Having such a large group could be dangerous."

"Then we should leave a few people behind to help protect them. Rishia and Eclair may be the best choices, since their stats aren't quite as high as the rest of us. They can't keep going like we can." Naofumi said, hand to his chin in thought. "On the other hand, we can't afford to just wander around down here without any idea of where we are."

"Maybe Ms. Filo can take some of my shadows to investigate one of the directions?" Mirellia offered. "There may not be many of them left, but they can hold their own in combat."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "You mean they're here?"

"They're everywhere, Mr. Iwatani. They are my shadows."

Naofumi shrugged. "That sounds like the best option we have, then. While they do that, a small group of us could go a different direction."

With the plan in place, Filo went down one corridor with the shadows. Naofumi left Rishia and Eclair to defend the soldiers in the makeshift camp. Ren decided to come with Naofumi just in case they encountered something more serious, but Armalis and Jugo needed some time to rest so they stayed behind.

A small group of higher-ranked soldiers accompanied them, and they began the trek down the hallway. The tunnels seemed endless.

"Hya!"

Raphtalia slashed through another familiar after it was frozen by one of the queen's ice spells. The beast fell into two pieces.

"Is that the last one?" Naofumi asked, whipping his weapon to rid it of the blood.

"I believe so." the raccoon said, wiping sweat from her forehead. "I'm not sure if we're going in the right direction, though."

"We'll have to trust Ost, then. The maps are pretty useless down here."

They continued down the hallway until they heard the flapping of bat-type familiars. When they got a bit closer, the path forked both to the left and right. A whole flock of the familiars passed them by, followed by a small group of adventurers.

'_Why would adventurers be somewhere like this? It seems far too dangerous.'_ Naofumi thought as he examined them.

One was a man clad in heavy armor and wielding a spear. His stance was confident, and he seemed skilled.

The second was a girl who looked fairly young with pigtails. She had extremely pale skin and wore light armor, though her movements suggested she wasn't comfortable. Maybe she was new to adventuring?

The last of the group was a woman with her short red hair in a bob cut. She looked sophisticated, which made Naofumi think she was some kind of noble. She looked like a wizard.

Overall, they were an odd group.

"This place is too dangerous to be looking for fame and fortune! I suggest getting out of here before things get worse!" Naofumi yelled, rushing in and slashing one of the familiars in half.

"Huh? Kiddo, is that you?"

Naofumi's eyes widened. Only one person had the balls to call him Kiddo and get away with it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" The pigtail girl harshly whispered as she elbowed the armored man in the ribs below his chestplate, causing him to flinch.

"L'arc!?" Naofumi asked, incredulously.

"You know these people, Mr. Iwatani?" the queen asked, shooting icicles at some of the bat-type familiars that had wandered too close to them.

"Yeah, I think I do. When did you guys get here?"

The man turned to the wizard lady. "Therese, it's okay. Let's release the spell."

"Okay."

Their forms faded until L'arc, Therese, and Glass stood before them. Glass's appearance didn't actually change that much, though Naofumi found it difficult to recognize her without her signature kimono.

"Therese! It really is you!" Raphtalia ran forward, hugging the woman tightly.

"It's good to see you, Raphtalia. How have you been?" the blue haired woman asked with a smile.

"It's felt like so long, even if it's only been a few weeks. How did you get here?" They released each other as Naofumi walked over to L'arc.

The two held a staring contest before Naofumi punched the taller man in the gut, causing him to double over in pain.

"Why the hell didn't you come see us sooner, asshole!?" he shouted. "We could have used your help, you know!"

"Ugghhh...Kiddo, you have one mean punch."

"Answer the damn question or you get another." Although he wasn't looking, Glass was giving him an approving look.

"Hehe, sorry. We got here about a week ago using one of the wave rifts. We've been leveling up this whole time. We don't keep our levels when we come from our own world, so we had to start from a pretty low level. Glass was only level 10 when she got here." The redheaded man chuckled, taking Naofumi's hand to stand up again.

"Speaking of which," Naofumi said, glancing at the black haired woman. "I didn't even recognize you without your kimono. You look..." he trailed off, unsure of how to answer.

She unfolded her fan threateningly. "Watch what you say, if you care about your life." L'arc flinched from beside her, holding his stomach from some phantom pains.

"I was going to say you looked ready for battle, but okay. I'd imagine the kimono didn't give you any big defense bonuses." Naofumi shrugged. Glass lowered her fan with a huff.

"That kimono was specially made, and has more bonuses than this unwieldy armor ever could." She picked at the clothing with a scowl. "Though our armor loses all of its bonuses whenever we cross between worlds, so this was my only option."

"Really?" Naofumi scratched his head. "That's pretty inconvenient, especially if the armor you have is really good."

"Indeed."

All of a sudden, the entire place shook violently. Everyone stumbled around in an attempt to keep their balance, but many of them still fell over.

"What's going on!?" L'arc asked as he struggled to his feet.

"My true body must be fully healed again. We need to hurry." Ost said. Her usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced with panic.

"True body? What's she talking about, Kiddo?" L'arc asked.

"Talk as we move! I haven't heard from Fitoria, and she's the only one that can keep the Tortoise busy while we're in here!" Naofumi yelled, scrambling to his feet and running forward. The group quickly followed.

They kept running, and came across another set of L'arc, Therese, and Glass. They looked completely identical. Naofumi had to take a moment and look between the two groups.

"Those are fakes! Quickly, take them out!" Therese cried, flinging a blue fireball that engulfed them all. The fake L'arc rushed forward, but his scythe was blocked by Naofumi's shield. He parried the attack and plunged the axe deep into the man's shoulder. Despite the pain he expected on the fake's face, it had a face of sadistic joy.

A name popped up in Naofumi's vision: **Spirit Tortoise Familiar (mimic-type)**.

"Tch, these things can't handle the real ones! Duck, Kiddo!" L'arc shouted. As soon as Naofumi ducked his head, a scythe swiped directly over him to cut deep into the mimic's flesh. Its armor was torn, but it backed off without a fatal wound.

Therese threw a blue fireball at her own copy, engulfing it in fire. After a moment, the fire parted and the mimic stood with some of its clothing burnt but no severe damage. It hurled a bolt of lightning forward, but Naofumi leapt in front to take the hit. Electricity shot through his arms and his bones felt like they were rattling.

Raphtalia leapt over him to slash at the fake Glass, but her sword was blocked by its fans. After a series of deflecting its stabs, Raphtalia managed to knock it off balance. The real Glass dashed forward and stabbed at her copy, embedding the weapon deep into its chest. Even as it died, its face was twisted in glee.

"_I, Ost Horai, the source of all strength, command you! Read and comprehend all that is under the sun, and show your power to me!"_

"**Gravity Field! Extreme Gravity!"**

The L'arc and Therese copies suddenly found that they couldn't move. Raphtalia charged forward with a cry.

"**Ying-Yang Sword!"**

She plunged her sword into the fake L'arc, and the real L'arc sliced the Therese mimic in half with his **Flying Circle**. Their bodies melted, and the sight was repulsive.

Eyeballs opened where their stomachs should have been, and their legs grew to an absurd size. Their forms were so large that you couldn't move past them to get further into the tunnel.

Raphtalia yanked her sword out of the mass of flesh and backed up. The air began to heat up around the mimics as the fake L'arc threw its scythe at her. Naofumi jumped in front to block with his shield, but instead of slamming into it, the weapon sprouted hands that grabbed onto his shield.

Roots rapidly grew from the scythe, anchoring into the ground. Naofumi grit his teeth as he noticed the Therese mimic glowing red. "Watch out! It's about to use some kind of attack!"

"Shield Hero, watch out!" Ost cried.

"I know! It looks like it's charging up for a powerful attack! Everyone, get behind me!"

There was no space in the tunnel to dodge, so the only option was to take the hit dead-on and hope for the best. Even with his high DEF stat, he wanted to make sure nobody else got hurt.

"**Zweite Aura!"**

Blood spurted from his shoulders, but he grit his teeth as the aura of strength engulfed him. He ignored the confused and concerned looks from L'arc, Therese, and Glass before switching to his Whale Magic Core Shield. It had water type attributes and fire resistances, so it would prove much more useful against a heat beam than the Soul Eater Shield he was currently using.

Just in case, he decided to throw out his **Air Strike Shield**,** Second Shield**,and **Dritte Shield** in a line. As soon as the monster had charged enough, it fired its laser straight through the L'arc mimic and into Naofumi's shields. The creature was instantly vaporized.

Everything was covered in a blinding light as the heat beam tore through the tunnel, slamming against the floating shields. With all of the defensive buffs on his, the shields were able to hold against the beam. However, it showed no signs of letting up.

'_Those shields will only last a bit longer, I have to think of something!' _he thought frantically, before an idea came to him. _'Maybe that'll work, or it might bring the whole tunnel down on us.'_

"Can anyone get through!?" Naofumi shouted.

Ren stepped up beside him. "I don't think I could make it with that kind of attack going through the whole tunnel! Unless I use Tiamat's power-"

"Not an option! You know what happened last time!"

"I'll give it a try." the queen said. **"Icicle Sword!"**

She swung the weapon past Naofumi's shields, but it was vaporized before it could reach the mimic.

"I'm sorry, that seemed to have no effect."

"Guess I have no choice then. Be careful everyone!" Naofumi yelled. "**Air Strike Shield!**"

He recreated the floating shield directly in front of the monster, angling it downward so the beam struck the floor.

"Now! **Shooting Star Shield!**" he yelled, creating a barrier around them. They sprinted forward at the monster while it was blocked, and Raphtalia leapt over them to slice the monster in two. The queen and Ost fired off magical ice and fire to strike the two halves before they could regenerate, and they fell motionless.

"Is -_*huff*- _is it over?" Naofumi asked, panting for air.

"I...think so." Raphtalia said, flicking her sword to get the grime off of it. She scowled at the stench.

"You've gotten a lot stronger, Kiddo. That much is easy to see." L'arc shouldered his scythe with a smile. "We don't have the same kind of power we did back during the wave, so we're sorta relying on you guys."

"Why are you here, anyway?" Ren asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have your help, but this seems like an 'our world' kind of problem."

Glass shook her head. "If it affects your world, it inadvertently affects ours. Especially in circumstances like these. The Vassal weapons are screaming at us to bring the man responsible for this to justice."

"They can talk to you, too?" Naofumi asked, looking at his shield. "Mine just has a giant demon in it."

L'arc nodded. "As far as I know, the Vassal weapons don't have anything inside 'em like the Holy Weapons do. They can still talk to us, in a way. We can feel their will. The guy who's causing all of this is one of our Vassal heroes, so we came through to stop him before he puts you guys at risk."

"Aww, you do care." Naofumi rolled his eyes. "So who's this Vassal hero that I need to kill?"

"His name is Kyo Ethnina, and he's the Vassal Book wielder. Don't underestimate him just because he uses a book. The guy is really powerful. Powerful enough to take control of a guardian beast, apparently."

"We'll have time for talking later. There's no time to waste." Glass turned and continued down the tunnel. The rest of the group followed her, but they ended up outside of the cave at a temple similar to the one that Naofumi's group had found earlier that week.

All the while, loud explosives and thundering footsteps could be heard. Fitoria could be seen battling the Spirit Tortoise in a battle of the titans. It was really quite the spectacle, but they had no time to gawk at them.

Even if she was the Legendary Filolial, Fitoria could only hold out for so long against an opponent like this.

He wasn't sure if the temple was a different place from what they found before until Ren waved him over. "Naofumi, look. It's just like the sketch from earlier." he pointed toward a crumbled wall.

It looked similar to the pillar from the sketch, but he wasn't sure if it was exactly the same. If it was the same wall, there was only rubble left. Some of the debris must have been part of the wall.

Naofumi and Ren sat down and tried rearranging the pieces like a jigsaw puzzle, trying to see how they fit together to make legible characters or words.

"Naofumi, I think I found something!" Raphtalia shouted, holding up a slab of stone. It looked identical to the piece from the sketch, but now that he had the real thing in his hands Naofumi could read more than just a few words.

"Heart, and head...hmm..." Naofumi furrowed his brow in concentration. "Put that together with what we know, and we could say we have to destroy both the head and the heart at the same time. Ost, do you know if that's right?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know for sure. Though for some reason I have a feeling you are correct."

It made sense. If she was part of the Spirit Tortoise, she wouldn't exactly know some special way to kill it.

"Well that's the only idea I can come up with from what we have." Naofumi sighed. "This is turning into one hell of a mess. I thought we just needed to kill the heart, but this is making things more complicated."

Ren shook his head. "Even if I have experienced something similar, I can't say I know exactly how this is supposed to go."

"I don't know why, but I have a feeling there is even more to this puzzle than that, Shield Hero."

"You mean there's _another_ thing we have to destroy?" Naofumi groaned. "At this rate, we'd just be stabbing at everything and hoping it's what we need to get rid of."

"Don't get so discouraged, Kiddo! I'm sure you'll figure it out! You're smart!" L'arc threw an arm over his shoulder.

"Shut up, and let go of me!" Naofumi pushed him away, but the man kept coming back to hug him.

"Aww, don't be so grumpy Kiddo!"

"I said leave me alone, you weirdo!"

Raphtalia and Therese giggled at their antics. "They almost seem like brothers, don't they?" Therese remarked.

Seeing L'arc grinding his fist into her master's head with a joyful smile on his face, and Naofumi with an annoyed look, Raphtalia agreed with her.

"Maybe now isn't a good time for this." Ren said. "We should go back to the base and meet up with the others. Even with everyone there, I'm a bit worried."

"Mr. Amaki is right." Mirellia said with a sigh. "And we still haven't found any kind of path to the heart. Perhaps one of the other groups has found something."

They went back to the large room where the soldiers had been. The corpses of familiars were scattered around the area. Some were slashed in half, some of the bat-types had lost their wings, and others were pierced with arrows.

"Took you long enough to get back! We were starting to think you found the right path and left us behind!" Armalis put her hands on her hips with a sassy look.

"Sorry, sorry. We got caught up in something we didn't expect." Ren replied earnestly. She glared at him for a few moments before giving a "hmph!" and walking up.

"So did you find anything?"

"Mr. Naofumi! Your Majesty!" Eclair shouted, running up to them. It seemed everyone was happy to see them return.

Filo and the shadows had yet to return, since they were nowhere to be seen.

Naofumi and the queen explained what they had found. The soldiers were excited to have some kind of solid plan that was better than "try to survive, and find something that might look like a heart and kill it".

When people asked about L'arc and the others they didn't recognize, the queen claimed they were adventurers that had been paid to join the coalition. If they were skeptical, they didn't say anything about it.

Naofumi turned ro Mirellia. "You should really stay here and command your troops. This could get extremely dangerous, and I don't want to leave them by themselves. Besides, they trust you to do the best thing for them."

She nodded. "You're right. If anything happens, I will send a shadow to inform you."

"Sounds good. Rishia, I know you might not be confident in yourself but I'll be counting on you."

"I'll do my best!"

That was exactly what he wanted to hear. She even said it without that pathetic whine of hers.

It took some time for Filo and the shadows to return, but they didn't have any good news. Every path led to a dead end. Ost, though she had a tendency to be correct, was no help with finding the heart.

In addition, every time they left the camp more familiars would attack. Between Eclair and Rishia, they were able to handle them with no problems. That didn't stop everyone from getting nervous, though.

"Master, don'tcha think the floor here is weird?" Filo asked, scratching at the ground with her talons.

"It doesn't look any different than the other floors around here." Naofumi said, looking closely.

Ost seemed to have a realization. "Shield Hero! Shield Hero!"

"What is it?"

Filo kicked the floor harshly, and it wiggled and flexed.

"It's a familiar..." Glass looked at it incredulously. "I had no idea they could copy walls and floors."

"That must be why we haven't found the right path. These things are probably hiding them." L'arc heaved his scythe into the air before jamming it into the ground. It had no effect. "Damn, that thing is tough."

"Let me give it a try." Ren stepped forward before raising his sword. The others took a step backward. **"Shooting Star Sword!"** He swung, releasing a stream of stars that struck the ground. They broke through the ground, revealing a pair of enormous eyes and a turtle shell.

"Looks like that did it!" Naofumi shouted, a smile on his face. Finally, things were starting to go their way. "Let's kill it!"

"Okay!"

After it was dead, it shriveled up and vanished in a puff of smoke. When it was gone, it revealed a tunnel that led further underground. Not much further into the dungeon, the walls and floors looked less like stone and more like flesh. They pulsed periodically with the Spirit Tortoise's heartbeat.

It was disgusting, and everyone agreed. Even Ost.

The number of familiars increased the further they went into the tunnel. Instead of the usual bat-type and the occasional yeti-type familiars, there were now white globs that looked like blood cell platelets and puffy maggot-like familiars. Naofumi hoped that meant they were getting closer to the heart.

Eventually they came upon a curtain of red sinews blocking the path. _'We probably have to cut the right one, otherwise we won't be able to get through. This is typical dungeon stuff.'_ Naofumi thought, before turning to his companion.

"Raphtalia, cut that one." he said, pointing at a specific one.

"Oh, alright." She slashed through it, and the wall split open, revealing the way forward.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who knows how this works." Ren said with a smirk.

"Even I've seen this kind of gimmick before."

This continued several times, and they made quick progress through the obstacle. Still, every time they sliced through one of the sinews the tunnel was flooded with those immune system monsters.

For the final wall, none of the sinews actually worked. Ost managed to manipulate the wall into opening on its own. It spasmed before opening up to reveal a larger room.

Inside was a dragon hourglass, but it was filled with blue sand rather than red. However, only about a fifth of the hourglass was full.

"What are we looking at, exactly?" L'arc asked.

Ost hummed. "This is the soul energy that the Spirit Tortoise has harvested so far. When this hourglass is filled, the Tortoise can create a barrier to protect the world."

"So it's not too much different than our guardian beasts, then." The redhead rolled his shoulder, loosening a kink. "We've already taken down some of our guardian beasts, and they had a similar purpose."

"Then why didn't you say so back on Cal Mira!?" Naofumi asked, frustrated. "That sure would have helped us out!"

The man shrugged. "How was I supposed to know? Queenie didn't mention that the 'giant turtle' they sealed was a guardian beast. If she did, I could have told you."

Naofumi groaned. "Why does everything have to be so damn complicated...?"

"Cheer up, Kiddo! From the looks of it, we're almost there!"

"Yay..." He cheered, unenthusiastically.

"So if this is the hourglass, where's that guy who's controlling the Tortoise?" Raphtalia asked.

"This is just a projection of the hourglass. I believe we will find him at the core, along with the real hourglass." Ost said, crossing her arms under her bust. "Unfortunately, destroying the head and the heart will only stop the Spirit Tortoise's movement. After that...I'm not sure."

Naofumi clicked his tongue. _'She sure likes to remember things at convenient times!'_ he thought, sarcastically.

"Then let's keep moving. No time to lose."

Down the next hallway was the heart. It was large, maybe six meters in height, but it seemed smaller than necessary for a creature of the Tortoise's size. The two halves were divided by color, and each one had a massive eyeball.

"So this must be the heart." Naofumi noted. Immediately after he spoke, the eyeballs locked onto him and began firing heat beams.

"**Shooting Star Shield!"** he shouted, enveloping the group in a barrier.

"**!"**

Noticing that its attacks had no effect, the eyeballs widened and the room began to shake. Familiars flooded into the room from somewhere, but there was no time to figure out where before they attacked the group.

"Let's see if we can weaken it a bit. I don't have any good offensive skills, so I'll take defense. You guys back me up." Naofumi said.

"Right!"

"You got it, Kiddo!"

Glass merely grunted in agreement.

Gritting his teeth and preparing for pain, Naofumi cast **Zweite Aura** on Raphtalia and Filo. Although massive wounds appeared on his body, he ignored them in favor of maintaining the barrier.

"I know this isn't the time, but what the hell is going on with your magic, Kiddo!?" L'arc said, slicing through a few bat-type familiars. "That doesn't look normal!"

"I'll explain later! Focus on the battle!" Naofumi moved forward to block a heat beam from reaching the scythe-wielder.

"Righto!"

"Hiya!" Raphtalia and Filo both leapt at the heart, aiming for one eye each.

"**Ying-Yang Sword!"**

"**Small Quick!"** _[AN: The move is called Puchikuikku, which roughly translates to 'petit quick'. This is a weaker version of her Haikuikku (High Quick) move]_

As soon as their attacks struck, the heart panicked. The entire chamber shook violently. A huge mandala-like pattern appeared on the floor beneath the heart.

"Raphtalia, Filo! Get back! Hurry!" Naofumi yelled.

"Got it!"

They made it back within the barrier just in time for the heart to form a massive black ball of magic in front of its eyes. It shot the ball, which shattered through the barrier instantly. As soon as it hit Naofumi's shield he was forced to his knees.

"Ugh! I can't move!" he said through grit teeth.

"It's gravity magic!" Ost shouted. "Quickly, get rid of it!"

"Aaaargh!" With a roar Naofumi swung his shield, sending the gravity ball flying through the tunnel and out of sight.

'_That was nothing compared to the attacks outside. It must not be able to use that kind of power without harming itself!'_ Naofumi thought with a smirk.

Some of the white blob familiars covered the heart before exploding outward.

"**Shooting Star Shield!"**

They splattered against the barrier, covering it and everything else in the room with white mush.

He turned to everyone else. "Can you guys kill the heart!? I don't think it can do any more than that, since we're inside of it!"

"Yes, we'll do our best!" Therese said, summoning a large group of fireballs that engulfed the familiars.

"Keep in mind we aren't as strong as we were during the wave, Kiddo!" L'arc created a second scythe in the air in front of him. **"Floating Scythe!"** He threw it forward, cleaving through two more familiars in its path.

Ren cut down another group of familiars using his **Hundred Swords**. "Even with the power up methods, my stats aren't as high as Raphtalia's or Filo's!" he shouted.

"Alright, you guys focus on the familiars then. Raphtalia, Filo, you're on heart duty!"

"Okaaay!"

"Understood!"

"Filo, can we talk with Fitoria!?" Naofumi asked.

"Umm, yes I can talk to her."

"Have her get ready to attack! We can take out the head and the heart at the same time!"

"**Herculean Strength!"** Ost cast some kind of magic on Raphtalia and Filo, adding onto the **Zweite Aura**. Their stats skyrocketed. Hopefully that would be enough to take out the heart for good.

Raphtalia crouched low, gathering energy into her sword before sprinting forward. **"Directional..."**

Filo soon followed. **"Spiral Kick!"**

She turned into a ray of light and shot herself straight into the heart.

"**Sword of Heaven!"**

Raphtalia's sword flashed with Taoist-like patterns before slicing straight through the heart. Between the two attacks, the heart split in half.

"Ugh!"

Naofumi turned to see Ost clutching at her chest. _'I get it...Since she's part of the Spirit Tortoise, hurting the heart must hurt her too...'_ he thought forlornly.

"Hey, are you alright!?" Ren cried, glancing back at her.

"To kill the Spirit Tortoise is to kill me. Do not feel sorry."

Naofumi grit his teeth. Even if she was technically part of the Spirit Tortoise, Ost had shown that she cared about their wellbeing. Seeing her in pain was difficult, but she said it herself. Her entire reason for living was to protect the world, and she was willing to give up her own life to do it.

He found himself respecting her a lot more.

"Filo! Did Fitoria do it!? Nothing's happening!" Naofumi shouted.

"Uhh, she says she crushed the head!"

The fact that she could just annihilate a guardian beast's head on a whim was terrifying. Even if she was a bit annoying, Naofumi made a mental note not to piss her off.

A loud boom resounded through the chamber, which must have been the Tortoise's head hitting the ground outside. However, the heart quickly regenerated until it was back to normal.

"Ugh, I have a feeling we'll need a sealing spell to defeat my true form. I just felt a small energy flow." Ost said, still clutching her chest in pain.

"Are you sure?" Naofumi asked.

She merely shook her head. She was in so much pain she could barely speak.

He ordered the Shadow that was accompanying them to hold the path open through the sinews as they went back to gather reinforcements. They would need mages that could cast a sealing spell.

After running back to camp, it was in a state of ruin. Apparently, monsters had repeatedly attacked but were thankfully repelled by the group. For the safety of the soldiers, Naofumi told them all to follow them. Anywhere was safer than being sitting ducks in this room.

They all returned down the repulsive tunnel that led deeper into the underground. The soldiers were equally disgusted by the scenery, and even more traumatized by what happened whenever one got caught by one of the immune system monsters.

Seeing one of your friends melted down in an instant wasn't easy for anyone. Some of the soldiers with weaker stomachs vomited from the sight.

Naofumi couldn't blame them.

They stopped outside of the heart chamber. "Everyone know the plan?" Naofumi asked.

Mirellia nodded her head. "The soldiers will prepare the sealing spell, but we will need to weaken it for it to be effective."

"We can't have them cast it from out here? It's going to be dangerous, and I'm not sure I can protect everyone."

It was true. With that many people in the room, the heart would be able to attack almost all of them at once. His **Shooting Star Shield** only covered so much ground.

She shook her head. "Sadly, the spell only has a limited range and once they start casting they cannot move."

"Guess we have to do things the old fashioned way. Same thing as before, alright you guys?" Naofumi turned to his group.

Ren smirked. "I won't let you down, Naofumi."

"We can handle the familiars as long as you take out the heart. Keep an eye out for me, would ya Kiddo?" L'arc shouldered his scythe with a smile.

"Don't worry about the flying ones. Just leave them to me!" Therese held a hand to her heart.

"I'll do what I can to assist. Be sure to protect those you can." Glass gave her usual stone-cold expression.

"Then let's do this. Everyone ready?" Naofumi nodded at the Shadow, who opened the path enough for people to move through in single file.

The heart let out a ghastly roar as it saw them. _'So it remembers us? Good. We'll be the last people it ever sees.'_

As soon as the battle started, Naofumi used **Hate Reaction **to grab the attention of the familiars. After that, he used **Shooting Star Shield** to protect himself as well as the mages who were beginning the ceremonial sealing spell.

Raphtalia and Filo stood in front, gathering power for their attacks. Ren, not to be outdone this time, used his skills to damage the heart beforehand to make the job easier for them.

L'arc and Glass flew out of the barrier, attacking the familiars with refined grace. They almost looked like they were dancing, what with how easily they cleaved through one monster after another. Naofumi barely had to worry about them, and was able to focus entirely on the soldiers.

Occasionally, the heart would shoot out heat beams. Naofumi jumped in front of those while using his Whale Core Shield to reduce the damage. Still, having to deflect a large number of them started to wear him out. Even if he redirected the beam back into the heart or into the ceiling, the wounds he created would regenerate in seconds.

"Is the spell ready yet!?" he shouted.

"Not yet! We need just a bit longer!"

"Damn! **Air Strike Shield!**" He created a shield to deflect a familiar that was heading for L'arc's back.

"Thanks Kiddo!"

"Thank me by staying alive!"

Raphtalia slashed some of the sinews that held the heart in the air. It immediately looked like it had trouble beating properly.

"We're ready!" the soldiers called.

"Go for it!"

"_We are the source of all power, and we command you. Hear this truth and heed it. Drive a wedge to stop the Spirit Tortoise, one of the four spirits of destruction!"_

As they chanted, a massive mandala of light appeared in the air around the heart. However, white blobs covered the heart's surface before exploding outward.

"Shit!" Naofumi shouted. There wasn't enough time!

"**Shooting Star Shield! Air Strike Shield! Second Shield! Dritte Shield! Shield Prison!"**

He burned through as many skills as possible to defend the soldiers casting the spell, but some of them got past his defenses. Anyone struck by the blobs vanished instantly.

"I'm sorry...we failed..." The wizards looked down, depressed.

"Can you get another one ready!?"

"We can try!"

"Then do it!"

"Roger that!"

Raphtalia and Filo looked exhausted. The last battle against the heart only lasted a short time, so they had no idea how many familiars the heart could summon at one time. The number seemed infinite.

"Raphtalia! What happened!?" Naofumi shouted, trying to survey the damage. The carnage was too chaotic for him to think straight.

"I...I'm alright, but my magic power...!"

"Umm, those things stole our magic!" Filo yelled.

The white blobs returned to the heart, filling it with all the stolen magic power. It charged up a heat beam, one that was much stronger than the last one. Naofumi blocked it with his shield, but it quickly began to overpower him.

'_Shit, shit, shit! At this rate, I'm not gonna be able to hold out!'_ he thought frantically. His skin started bubbling, and he began to take damage. It stung, but not nearly as bad as the Tortoise's particle beam attack.

"Hey! Gimme our magic back!" Filo shouted, before sucking in air. The wind could be felt all the way from where Naofumi was.

"Everyone! Keep the monsters away from Filo!"

"Gotcha!"

"Understood." Glass unfolded her fans before charging them with energy. **"Zero Stance Rondo: Reverse Four Seasons!" **She swiped her fans and the energy stored in them slashed outward, slicing the head off of a yeti-type familiar and cutting down multiple parasitic familiars.

"Schwoooooooooooooop!"

Filo sucked in as much air as she could, and any white blobs still in the air were redirected toward her mouth. Soon she was packed with air and magic power.

"Nice job, Filo! Give it back to 'em!"

"Take it baaaaaaaack!" Filo screamed, sharpley exhaling toward the heart. A concentrated ball of air shot across the room like a bullet.

"**!"**

The heart formed a force field to block the attack, but with such a massive amount of magic concentrated into one shot, it broke through effortlessly.

"Now's your chance! Do it now!" Naofumi screamed at the wizards.

"Alright!"

"_We are the source of all power, and we command you. Hear this truth and heed it. Drive a wedge to stop the Spirit Tortoise, one of the four spirits of destruction!"_

An enormous mandala of light appeared in the air around the heart. Its eyes darted back and forth frantically, bloodshot. It must have been too focused on defending against Filo's attack to pay attention to the wizards.

The mandala multiplied before constricting around the heart.

_*Thump thump*...*thump*...*thu..mp*...*th..._

It began beating slower until it stopped completely.

"We...we did it!"

The soldiers celebrated, and Naofumi breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. For once in his life, everything seemed to be going just fine.

"Okaaaay! I'm gonna give your magic back Sis!" Filo shouted.

"NO! I don't want it!"

Filo spat the white globs at Raphtalia. She cringed as they landed on her, as if something was crawling all over her skin.

"FILO!" she screeched. "I said I didn't want it! Ewww!"

"Sorry Sis!"

Filo didn't sound apologetic at all. She proceeded to spit the globs at everyone else, replenishing their magic power. Raphtalia walked up to Naofumi and smeared some of the white stuff onto his armor.

"Eww, what the hell!? That's nasty!" Naofumi backed away, but the raccoon smirked and wiggled her fingers at him. White goo stuck between her fingers.

"If I have to suffer through this, so do you!"

"Like hell I do! Stay the hell away from me!"

L'arc and Therese laughed as Naofumi was chased around the chamber by his companion. He leaned close to her and whispered. "Is it just me, or are those two closer than before?"

She giggled. "Oh I think they're a bit more than that."

"You think so?"

"Hey, does anyone else feel like nothing is different?" Ren asked, looking around the room. Most people were relieved, but he and Glass were still on their guard. Ost had a grim expression.

The queen nodded, face behind her fan. "Indeed. Something does feel off..."

Naofumi stopped running away from Raphtalia and turned to them. "Filo, has Fitoria said anything yet?"

"Umm...She said the Tortoise has stopped moving!"

"So...we won?" Ren breathed a sigh of relief. "We still haven't found Motoyasu or Itsuki yet, though. Do you think they just...ran away?"

"I doubt it." Naofumi shook his head. "They're way too proud of themselves for something like that. If word got out that they ran away, I think they'd lose it."

"Master!?" Filo cried, running over to him. She looked terrified.

_*Thump!* *Thump!*_

The heart started beating again.

A sound like shattering glass filled the room as the seal around the heart was broken. The heart's eyes opened wide and shot a massive heat beam at them. Naofumi ran in front to block it.

"It didn't work!?" he shouted. Between the screeching sound of the heart and the panic of the soldiers, his voice could barely be heard.

Mirellia ran toward her soldiers who had made the barrier. "The spell was successful, but it managed to break free somehow!"

"What should we do!? We can't win in a fight of attrition against this thing!"

Nobody had an answer for him. The battle seemed like it would never end.

"Ost, are you sure you have no idea where the core is!?" he yelled.

The woman used a few healing spells on anyone who took some damage from the heat beam. "I'm not certain, but I felt..._something_ while the heart was sealed. Just for a moment."

"Where is it!? We don't have all day!"

"I believe it is below this room."

He grit his teeth as the heat beam started burning his hands and arms again. They were just starting to get used to not being on fire, too.

"So if I direct the beam downward, do you think we could get to the core!?"

"I don't think so. The core is not so easy to reach."

'_Are you serious!? Stop speaking in riddles and get on with it already!'_ he thought frantically. All of this cryptic talk was starting to piss him off. "Okay, then how the hell do we get to it!?"

"Destroy the heart and the head at the same time, then use the sealing spell on the heart as it dies. If you do, the path to the core will open." 

"It fucking better, or we're all going to die here! Filo, tell Fitoria what we're doing!"

"Okay!"

"L'arc, Glass, Therese, you three focus on keeping the familiars away! Queen, you help the soldiers cast the spell!"

"Understood!"

Even though they voiced their approval of the plan, everyone seemed tired. Naofumi was exhausted too. Having to constantly block a heat beam that was bigger than himself was requiring every ounce of strength he had.

Ren charged himself with draconic power. "Ren! Are you sure you can handle something like that again!?" Raphtalia shouted as she charged her own attack.

Filo was busy sucking up the white globs before they could reach anyone else. The last thing they needed was to run out of magic power and die.

"I need to, otherwise this fight will never end! Just trust me on this!" he shouted back, covering himself in white flames again.

"Urk..Understood!" The raccoon was obviously unhappy with his choice, but could only focus on her own magic power. She had no time to argue with him.

Seeing yet another person willing to use whatever means available to them to save their friends was frightening, especially since she knew the costs of those means very well.

The familiars swarmed the chamber. With Naofumi focused on blocking the heat beam from the heart's eyes, it was down to L'arc, Therese, and Glass to take care of them.

The battle raged for what felt like an hour, but in reality was only mere minutes.

"Ren, I'm ready!" Raphtalia cried. Her sword was glowing with magic power.

"Me - URGH - me too!" he grunted, feeling the pressure of his inner dragon's power taking its toll on him. He still hadn't gotten used to using it.

White globs spread over the heart before exploding outward. Filo sucked them into herself, puffing up into a massive ball of feathers. "Sis! Sword Guy! Now!" she yelled.

"Right!"

The two swerved back and forth in a slalom-like pattern toward the heart. Both of their blades were covered in so much magic that the blades themselves couldn't be seen.

"**Directional..."**

"**Heaven..."**

Therese launched a massive fireball ahead of them, engulfing the familiars in bright blue flames. The two swordsmen leapt over the pyre before bringing their weapons down.

"**Blade of Heaven!"**

"**Splitter!"**

Their attacks sliced right through the heart, cutting it in half. Blood from the heart erupted and showered the chamber in its life essence. They landed on the other side of the room with a crash. Ren fell to his knees. At that moment, the preparations for the sealing spell were finished.

Mirellia stepped forward with authority. _"We are the source of all power, and we command you. Hear this truth and heed it! Drive a wedge to stop the Spirit Tortoise, one of the four spirits of destruction!"_ she chanted along with the wizards.

"**High Ceremonial Magic: Seal!"**

The heart was desperately trying to heal itself, so it wasn't prepared for the mandala-like patterns to appear around it again. The regeneration began slowing down.

Ost held her hand forward. _"I, Ost Horai, command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and spit up blood. Oh self, I command you! Open the oath to my depths!"_

With her hands outstretched to the heart, the floor in front of her opened up. Stairs were formed by the new tunnel, leading deeper into the Tortoise.

"This...this must be the path to the core." she said, clutching her chest in pain. Even though it hurt her to do it, she was determined to protect the world no matter the cost to herself.

"Great, then let's go!" Naofumi said.

"Wait just a moment." She stopped him with a concerned look. "I have...a feeling. Anyone who cannot command an exceptional amount of power will only hinder us going forward. Whoever has taken control of the Spirit Tortoise is down these steps, and I do not believe you can protect them all."

Naofumi hesitated, glancing between the queen and her soldiers. He sighed. "Troops, fall back to somewhere safe."

"What!?" They obviously weren't happy with that choice.

"I don't know for sure if I can protect all of you. I'm not about to be the one to tell your families that you died because we all got in over our heads."

They protested, but the queen stepped between them. "Don't worry, Mr. Iwatani. Leave the rest to me. Your priority must be to stop the Spirit Tortoise as soon as possible. I will retreat with our soldiers to a safer location."

"Good." He turned back toward the steps that descended into darkness. It was a foreboding feeling, to walk to the final battle. "Alright everyone else, let's go!"

"Right!"

It felt like the stairs went on forever. Deeper and deeper they went into the Tortoise's body. L'arc groaned. "Hey Kiddo, you're sure this is the right way?" he asked.

"It's the only path forward, L'arc. Stop complaining. I'm annoyed enough listening to the Fan scream at me for justice to be served." Glass chided, ending all discussion from then on.

The rest of the trip was silent aside from the squishing sound of footsteps on the floor. No matter how long they spent inside of the Tortoise's body, Naofumi doubted he would ever get that noise out of his head. It was just too distinctive, too gross for him to forget. No matter how much he would love to.

"Alright everyone, this is it." Naofumi said as a light could be seen at the end of the tunnel.

"Finally. I can't wait to get a nice bath." Ren groaned. "This place reeks, and I feel like some of it is stuck to me."

The others agreed with him, and they continued onward. After reaching the light, they walked into a large room. A large object floated in front of them ominously, slowly spinning on its axis. It was a green crystal that glowed with an eerie light.

It was the core of the Spirit Tortoise. At long last, they found their target.

"What the-" Ren started, pointing to the back of the room. All eyes followed it, and Naofumi gasped.

"Holy shit..." he mumbled. "So this is where they've been all this time..."

Inside of two semi-transparent crystals were the bodies of Motoyasu Kitamura and Itsuki Kawasumi. The two missing heroes had been inside of the Spirit Tortoise the whole time.

They groaned and moaned in pain, but they must have been unconscious. Otherwise they would have noticed the group enter.

"Master Itsuki!" Rishia, voicing herself for the first time in a while ran forward toward the crystals. However, something fluttered down and knocked her away before she could get close.

It was some kind of piece of paper.

"Ah ah ah. No touching the goods, little girl."

They followed the voice to see a man wearing robes, with unkempt white hair and a manic grin on his face. He held a book in his hands, and it had a green gem just like the other holy and vassal weapons. His outfit had an absurd number of buckles, many of which had test tubes and vials in them.

The man looked exactly how a stereotypical alchemist would, and he had the mad scientist look down pat.

"Kyo, you traitor! What are you doing here!?" Glass demanded, pointing at him with her fan.

He chuckled. "Oh, nothing serious. Just putting this dying world's energy to good use, that's all! Surely you understand, right?" he said, mockingly.

"That's ridiculous! We aren't supposed to go to other worlds to destroy them!"

"That's ironic, coming from you little miss Glass! Weren't you the one who came for that exact reason only a month ago?"

He had a point, but it didn't do anyone good to doubt their cause now.

Plus, his smirk made his face oh-so-punchable.

"When you guys blew this thing's head off, I'll admit I was a bit nervous. But then you took so long to find the right cave that it regenerated on its own! I mean seriously, how stupid can you guys be!?"

A dark aura emanated from Naofumi as the man taunted them. The others took a reflexive step away. **"So, you're the one behind all of this shit." **he said, double tone evident in his voice. The scar on his burned a bright red, and small flames flickered at his hands.

He switched to the **Shield of Rage** before the fight even began.

"Oh? And what if I am, little demon boy!? Whatcha gonna do, _slaughter me like those church idiots!?"_ Kyo pushed his glasses higher on his nose and cackled, looking down on them. Everyone sent a concerned glance in Naofumi's direction as the ground near his feet burst into flames. He was visibly trembling in anger, and two small horns grew from his head.

The aura around him was deadly, heavy with cursed power and fire. Naofumi sent a manic smirk right back at the man, and Kyo's composure broke for just a moment.

"**Hehehehe..." **His laughter was dark and filled with malice. **"I've had to be the goody-two-shoes paladin playing defender this entire time, so I haven't had the chance to go on the offensive. Do you have any idea how shitty it is to just stand there and block lasers all day?"**

The pressure in the room tripled in intensity as all eyes shot to the Shield Hero, whose skin looked like molten lava.

"**I hope you're ready to be my punching bag, because I've had enough."**


	19. Chapter 20

**Get to de choppa!**

**I'm a day or two late on this update, but I've been working on multiple stories at once. Sometimes my brain just doesn't want to work while writing one specific story or scene, and I end up procrastinating on it until I can think of the right way to write it. I'll try to be a little more consistent in the future.**

**I'll be going back to do a lot of editing on my earlier chapters (probably chapters 1-7 specifically) to make things a little more canon-workable. It'll still be an AU to keep the story in line, but smaller details (and a few major ones I happened to miss back when I was an anime-only) will definitely be fixed.**

**Things like Naofumi having a ridiculously high alcohol tolerance as opposed to physically not being capable of getting drunk. That kind of thing that I **_**somehow**_** managed to screw up.**

**Anyway, onto the chapter!**

"Hello" - Words

'_Hello'_ \- Thoughts

_Hello_ \- Emphasis

**Hello **\- Abilities/Magic spells/Demonic Speech

**As always, feel free to review!**

The group stared at Naofumi in awe. "Kiddo...what the hell..?" L'arc asked.

"Haha! You think a little demon like you can scare me? You and your little group of weaklings don't stand a chance! While you've been busy running around fighting the familiars, I've been absorbing energy!" Kyo laughed. The look in his eyes belied a deep madness within.

"**So this whole time, you've been sitting here while thousands of people are killed?"** Naofumi's eyes blazed with fury.

"That's right! And these two morons only made that easier!" The white haired man motioned to the crystals behind him. "You should have seen the look on their faces when they couldn't even scratch this stupid thing! It was priceless!"

"What are you doing to Master Itsuki!?" Rishia asked frantically.

"Haha! You mean you haven't figured it out yet? You guys must be dumber than you look!"

The Holy Spear and Bow were glowing faintly, as if they were trying to resist something.

"You're draining them of their power, aren't you?" Glass asked, unfolding her fans and preparing for battle.

"Hole in one, Miss Glass! These two were so weak that I almost didn't believe they were the real heroes! But their weapons still hold plenty of energy for me to harness. It's not like they'll need it if they're going to get themselves killed anyway!"

The air got hotter within the core chamber as Naofumi growled. He stepped forward until he stood between Kyo and the rest of the party. **"You realize I'm not letting you get out of this place alive, right?"**

"Oh, _so scary_! I'd like to see you try, little demon boy!" Kyo mocked as he opened up his book and a mass of pages flew out. They swarmed Naofumi, but were deflected by Ren's sword.

"I won't let you do what you want with them! Even if they're not strong now, they can get there!" Ren shouted. "What's your goal!? What do you plan to do with that energy!?"

"As if I'd tell you! I'm not some stupid villain telling the enemy his plans before trying to kill them! Now prepare to die!"

"I won't let you hurt them." Ost said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Naofumi's shoulder. Despite his aura, she seemed unaffected. "If you want to capture the remaining heroes, you'll have to go through me."

"Oh? Now who do we have here?" Kyo looked genuinely intrigued. "I wasn't aware that you could do something like that. You protective beasts are so damn stubborn! Just do what you're told and collect my energy!"

"What kind of protective spirit would I be if I didn't carry out my duty? None at all! That is why I have chosen to aid the one who holds the Holy Shield! That is the bond that connects the spirit of the Shield to the Spirit Tortoise!"

Naofumi was too angry to dwell on what Ost was saying. Even if he didn't understand the true connection between his shield and Ost, he would take it if it meant getting to put Kyo in his place.

Naofumi took a deep breath, and his aura was less chaotic than before. It hummed with power that begged to be unleashed. **"Enough talk. I feel myself losing brain cells the longer I hear your voice."**

"Right here with ya, Kiddo!" L'arc said, twirling his scythe. "I dunno what the hell he's talking about with the demon stuff, but I've got your back!"

"Agreed. It is our responsibility to defeat this man for the sake of both of our worlds!" Therese's gems glistened as her magic flowed.

Despite how angry he was, Naofumi wasn't blinded enough to think he could take on Kyo by himself. _'If only we had Motoyasu's and Itsuki's power up methods, this would have been a thousand times easier!'_ he thought in frustration.

"Then come on! I would have invited you all here when you got a bit weaker, but you managed to handle the familiars without too much trouble. And you brought all these pretty ladies with you, too! Maybe I'll keep them as souvenirs or something after I kill you?" Kyo said with a mocking grin.

"Naofumi! Don't listen, he's just trying to rile you up!" Raphtalia cried.

"**Hahahahaha."** Naofumi chuckled darkly. **"Oh I know what he's trying to do. **_**And it's WORKING!"**_

With a roar, Naofumi launched himself forward in a blaze of dark fire. Kyo sent page after page to block his path. The hero was forced to dodge and abandon his attack.

"You can't even handle this? You're almost as weak as the other two!" Kyo exclaimed. Naofumi couldn't get close enough to attack. "Your little flames won't be able to destroy my pages!"

"Haaaaah!" Raphtalia dashed forward and slashed with her sword, but it was blocked by Kyo's book. They struggled against one another for a moment before he forced her back.

"Be careful! That book is way stronger than it looks!" she yelled.

"Right!"

"**Don't worry about me! Just kill this bastard so we can go home!"** Naofumi shouted, charging forward like a fireball. Every step he made scorched the floor.

"Not so fast!" Kyo unleashed even more pages that fluttered around like bats. They homed in on not only Naofumi but the rest of the group as well.

"**Shooting Star Shield!"** Naofumi created a barrier as he charged at the Book wielder. **"Change Shield (attack)! Demonflare barrier!"**

The shining shield darkened and its surface became covered in flames. Any of the pages that touched it caught fire.

"What!? How!?" Kyo was shocked and off-balance.

"You're mine!" L'arc yelled. **"Flying Circle!"** He swung his scythe and a disk of energy shot out at high speeds. It was nowhere near as fast as it had been during the last wave, but it was still very fast.

"**Zero Stance Rondo: Tortoise Shell Cracker!"** Glass dashed forward with her fans folded into daggers. But as she got close, she ran face-first into a barrier that erupted around Kyo.

"Ha! I'm surprised you all managed to make me use my barrier so quickly!" Kyo taunted, brushing some dust off of his pants. L'arc's **Flying Circle** struck the barrier but did absolutely nothing. He summoned another swarm of pages that floated around his head. "Let's see how you handle this!"

"**Composition form one! Bird of Flame!"**

The pages caught on fire before merging into a bird-like shape. **"Get behind me!" **Naofumi yelled, running in front and blocking the attack before it could reach the others. His Shield of Rage gave him an incredible amount of resistance to fire damage, so he barely took any damage at all.

"**Shining Stones! Rain of Thunder!"**

Therese unleashed a powerful burst of lightning in retaliation, but the bolts were ineffective against Kyo's barrier.

"You may be strong, but you're not powerful enough to destroy this barrier! Now I think I'll let my minions take care of you!" He held his hands out to the large crystal and it glowed. The two trapped heroes writhed in pain as the glow intensified.

A loud clanking sound filled the chamber as almost a dozen new enemies emerged from the wall. They were **Spirit Tortoise Familiars (neo guardian type)**, and they wore full suits of looked exceptionally strong.

They all had copies of the Holy Spear or Bow, and they looked to be just as effective as the pope's copy has been. Their armor clattered loudly as they stomped forward.

"What is that barrier made of!?" Ren grit his teeth as he dashed forward to intercept the familiars. "If we can't take that down, we don't stand a chance!"

"He's...he's using the Tortoise's energy to create that barrier. Breaking through will require an enormously powerful attack." Ost said, narrowing her eyes.

"We have to do something about these familiars too!" Raphtalia shouted as she clashed blades with one of the neo guardians. She overpowered it before slashing across its chest, and it vanished in a puff of smoke.

However, another one immediately replaced it.

Naofumi growled. "Filo! Raphtalia!"

"Oh don't think I'll make it easy for you!" Kyo yelled, creating more pages. **"Composition form eight! Divine Punishment!"** The pages sparked before firing lasers similar to the Tortoise, but on a smaller scale.

However, the sheer number of them made it difficult to dodge. Naofumi's barrier managed to block a large number of them, but the attacks quickly became too much for it to handle. It shattered, scattering the flames outward.

One of the familiars unfortunate enough to be too close burst into flames before vanishing into smoke.

"Mr. Naofumi, look out!" Rishia cried.

Naofumi quickly raised his shield to block a set of **Lightning Shots **from the bow-wielding familiars. They slammed against the shield, but weren't enough to deal any damage.

'_The defense bonus from Demonic Resilience is really starting to show now. If these familiars can't hurt me, should I focus on blocking them or going after Kyo?'_ he thought to himself as he plunged his axe into a familiar's helmet, sundering it in half.

Raphtalia and Filo focused on charging their energy. _'If they're planning on using their strongest attacks, I need to defend them. Nobody else can block some of this guy's attacks, so I guess it's up to me!'_

He ran in front of another set of flaming pages before they could reach the rest of the group. They struck his shield but dissipated without dealing any significant damage.

"Hahaha! How much more of this can you take, huh!? Use that big brain of yours, come on! Make this fun for me, at least!" Kyo cackled within the safety of his barrier.

"Shield Hero!" Ost cried, running toward him. "Do not be afraid! I will redirect your powers so they don't strike our allies!"

He nodded to her and allowed his demonic energy to surge forth. **"Hooooooooh!" **he roared. The flames around him whipped and crackled viciously, tearing apart anything unfortunate enough to be too close.

"_I, Ost Horai, command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and spit up blood. Oh, strength of this raging shield, rid us of the beasts that best us!"_ she chanted. The black flames crawled over her hands, scorching them horribly.

Kyo raised an eyebrow. "What are you-"

"**Black Dragon Flame!"**

The black flames erupted out of her hands, forming the shape of a twisted dragon's visage. They flew around the room, instantly vaporizing any familiars they came in contact with. After a few seconds, it roared, crashing into the barrier and cracking it.

"Tch! Even an attack like that isn't enough to break my barrier! You're just wasting your time!" Kyo yelled. Holding his hand out to the crystal once again, the barrier reformed and shined brighter than before.

"Careful! He's using even more of the Spirit Tortoise's energy for his barrier!" Ost shouted, before wincing in pain.

"**Are you alright?"** Naofumi asked, and she nodded.

"Yes...Any pain I feel is nothing compared to what I would feel for failing this world. This man must be stopped at any cost!" Her eyes burned with resolute fury, and Naofumi nodded at her.

"Ready, Filo!?"

"I'm ready, Sis!"

Raphtalia leapt onto Filo's back and they shined with magic power. Filo dashed forward in a blur and they struck the barrier, shattering it into pieces.

"Now's our chance! Haaaaaaaaaaa!" L'arc swung his scythe, but it was blocked by Kyo's book. Glass took the opportunity to attack as well, but with a graceful dodge Kyo managed to evade and create space.

"Hoho! I didn't expect something like that, even if you had some time to prepare! You're not too bad looking either, little demi-human girl! Maybe once I'm through with these other idiots, I'll take some time to give you a little pampering!"

"**!"**

The pressure and heat in the room intensified three-fold.

"_**You wanna run that one by me again?"**_

Naofumi's aura of black flames was so dark that he couldn't be seen at all aside from his glowing red eyes and a silhouette. Ost had backed away in shock, hands stained black from the curse. The horns on his head had grown significantly larger.

Kyo's eye twitched. "Didn't you hear me!? You're all weak! I'm gonna fuck that raccoon bitch as soon as I'm done murdering you! And she'll like it!" he yelled back, now behind the safety of his barrier once more.

The pressure increased again. Naofumi chuckled, an evil sound that put the villain's own laughter to shame. **"Hahahaha...Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!"**

With one final roar, he exploded into a pyroclasm of dark fire. Over the sound of the raging fire, the screams of the damned could be heard.

"Kiddo!" L'arc said, swiping at another familiar. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"Naofumi, he's right! If you lose control, you might kill the other heroes!" Raphtalia shouted.

If he heard her, he wasn't paying attention.

"**You think you can walk in here and threaten the only people I've ever cared about!? Huh!? Does that make you feel powerful!?"** Naofumi yelled in maniacal rage. **"If you want to see power, just take a fucking look!"**

"Shield Hero!" Ost cried. She tried to get closer to him, but the flames pushed her away. "Please! Let me help!"

"**No! I can destroy this bastard myself! He has to suffer!"**

"As if you could defeat me with such measly powers! It's all show and no go!" Kyo yelled, creating a demon out of pages that burst into flames. "All of your attacks take too long to charge, so I can just make this barrier over and over!"

"You're wrong!" Ren shouted back. "You only have two heroes to steal power from, so you're nowhere near powerful enough to take all of us on! Your arrogance will be your undoing!"

"That's such a cliché line that it makes me sick!" Kyo spat.

"Shield Hero, please!" Ost pleaded. After a few more seconds, the black flames opened up a small path to Naofumi. His form was still obscured, but he seemed much bulkier than usual. "Allow me to aid you!"

"**...Fine."** It sounded more like a growl than a voice, but it was enough to make the woman sigh in relief.

"Don't forget about us!" Filo yelled, slamming into the barrier with all of her might. However, without fully charging her Spiral Strike, it wasn't enough to destroy it.

"We'll buy you time! Do what you need to do!" Therese shouted before flinging a blue fireball at a group of familiars in the back of the room.

"You won't get away with this!" Rishia screamed. She was filled with power and life force, and she attacked Kyo without rest. Her attacks could shatter his barriers thanks to her steadily improving mastery of Hengen Musou, but she was unable to deliver a decisive blow.

Ost laid a hand on Naofumi's shield. "Please, Hero. I know that rage dwells within you, but do not lose yourself to it."

"**I'm not making any promises."**

She cracked a smile. "I don't expect you to. Lend me your magic power, lend _us_ that magic power. Let us shatter the barrier together."

Naofumi imagined himself using Zweite Aura.

"No, that will not be enough. Think bigger." she said, closing her eyes. "Think of the spells you know. Now imagine yourself spinning the highest magic into existence.

He was overcome with anger that it was difficult to concentrate. His entire being wanted nothing more than to tear Kyo apart limb from limb, over and over until he was satisfied. His mind was barely keeping itself together as it was! Casting magic in this state felt impossible!

"**I...don't think I can."** he growled in frustration.

Meanwhile, Raphtalia managed to shatter Kyo's barrier. There was just enough time for Ren to land a solid slash on the man's chest. However, it healed in seconds and the barriers were rebuilt stronger than before.

"You must focus, Shield Hero...no...Naofumi." Ost said his name with conviction that stunned him. "I believe in you. _We all_ believe in you. The final piece of the puzzle is for you to believe in yourself."

His chest heaved with angry breaths, but he managed to calm down enough. Thinking a bit more clearly, didn't his Whale Core Shield have something called **Magic Assistance**?

With a grunt of effort, he managed to change shields to it. Now that he no longer held the Shield of Rage, his mind was much clearer.

"Good. Now focus your magic into something that will give us the strength to win this battle. I will help you."

He did everything he could to keep his mind on track, but the energy within him begged to be released. Maybe he could harness that power in addition to his magic?

**Way of the Dragon Vein unlocked!**

"_I, the Spirit Tortoise, command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and spit up blood. Oh great strength..."_ Ost chanted. Naofumi could feel power gathering around them in massive amounts.

Was this the true power of the Spirit Tortoise?

"A while ago, I wanted to teach you this spell. I'm sure you'll be able to cast it on your own one day, so remember this feeling." she smiled at him.

"**Okay."**

A series of shapes appeared in his mind, like a puzzle. It was fuzzy and difficult to make out exactly what the pieces looked like, but Ost was putting the pieces together for him. Every time he placed a piece incorrectly, they would vanish for a moment before reappearing.

Without Ost there to help, those pieces would probably not reappear at all. Just imagining trying to do it himself made Naofumi's head spin.

He watched as the pieces arranged themselves and he almost laughed. This took so long that he wasn't sure he would ever be able to do this, especially in the middle of a battle.

If an opponent gave him enough time to complete the equivalent of a 100 piece puzzle in his head, they deserved to lose.

Learning magic was actually fairly easy, but this spell was different. Instead of a set result, the different pieces would create different spells depending on how they lined up. The sheer number of possibilities seemed endless, which is what made this type of magic so difficult. All of a sudden, Naofumi found himself chanting.

"_I, the Shield Hero, borrow the strength of the Spirit Tortoise to command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and spit up blood. Oh great strength of the dragons - join the power of the heroes with magic. The source of power that is the shield hero commands you! Read and comprehend all that is under the sun, and show your power to me! I command you! Give them-_UGH!"

Naofumi winced as his demonic power flared in rage, but he continued his incantation.

"_Give them everything!"_

"**All Liberation Aura!"**

But nothing happened.

"What's going on!? Why didn't it work!?" Naofumi panicked as he saw Rishia get knocked away by a lightning strike from the pages.

"I do not know! Something is interfering with the magic!" Ost cried.

"_**No no no, you're doing it all wrong, human. Demons cannot use such high level magic the same way as humans do. If you cast that spell in that manner, you would die. You must harness your demonic power along with your magic, not suppress it."**_

Naofumi heard a familiar voice echo through his head. _"What do you mean, harness it!? I can't concentrate on magic if I use any of that power!"_

"_**Then you must learn. Reattempt the spell with the guardian beast woman, and I will guide you both. However, I warn you that you may not like the outcome."**_

The puzzle pieces reappeared in his vision, and he and Ost nodded to each other. Even faster than before, the pieces fit themselves together in his mind. However, some of the pieces were tainted black compared to the rest. They weren't there before, and Naofumi could feel the Sigil on his chest burning hotter every time one of them fit into place.

The incantation came to him. _"I, the Shield Hero, borrow the strength of the Spirit Tortoise and the demon within to command the heavens, command the earth, defy all reason, join, and erupt in blood. Oh great strength born of dragons - join the power of heroes with magic and demonic life. The source of power that is the shield hero commands you! Read and comprehend all that is under the sun, and show your power to me! I command you, allow me to glimpse what lies beyond the veil and complete my rebirth!"_

"**LIBERATION AURA: DEMONIC TAKEOVER!"**

Naofumi exploded with power, and his flames darkened the room. The sheer force of power shattered Kyo's barrier and produced shockwaves that pushed everyone away. Ost went flying back, scorched black from cursed strength, but she was caught by L'arc.

When the wind died down, Naofumi stood at over 2 meters tall. He was massive compared to his usual form, and the ground around him bubbled from the incredible heat he gave off. Every breath expelled flames. His skin was a dark red color, and his armor was scorched black. The only reason it still fit was because it was magically enhanced to fit no matter his size.

"What!? What the hell was that!?" Kyo exclaimed. "I've never heard of magic like that before!"

Naofumi merely cocked his head to the side, as if he couldn't understand the man. Then, he roared.

"**!"**

The ground shook and everyone was forced to cover their ears. The flames around Naofumi flared dangerously along with his power. With a burst of speed, Naofumi was suddenly in front of Kyo in an instant. Nobody could follow him with their eyes.

"GAH!" Kyo cried as his barrier was shattered with such force that he was thrown into the far wall. Naofumi roared again, and this time the crystals holding the two heroes shattered.

"Master Itsuki!" Rishia ran forward, but was held back by Glass.

"Stay back! I don't think he has full control over himself right now! It would be suicide to get closer!" she yelled.

"But Master Itsuki-!"

"He'll live! Think about yourself!"

Naofumi rampaged around the room, crushing familiars with his bare hands and scorching every inch of ground he walked on. He was essentially destruction incarnate, annihilating everything that came too close to him.

"Urgh! To think I'd have to use this so early!" Kyo grunted as he peeled himself off of the wall. Holding a hand out toward the core, gravity suddenly intensified.

"I-I can't move!" L'arc winced, struggling to pick up his feet.

Ost could barely pick herself off of the ground. "He's using the Spirit Tortoise's power to increase gravity in the area!"

"But Kiddo looks just fine to me!"

"**!"** Another roar shook the chamber, and Naofumi dashed forward but noticeably slower than before. He slammed his fist into the wall where Kyo was, but the man barely managed to duck under it. As the demon tried to wrench his fist free, Kyo ran to the core.

"Just because you got a little power-up you think you're hot stuff! Well let's see what happens when I use all of the Tortoise's power!"

White cords appeared, snagging Ost by the ankles and dragging her to the core. She didn't have the strength left to resist. As soon as she entered the barrier Kyo created, it appeared to double in thickness and strength.

"You don't even know who this is, do you!? This is as good a time as any to show you!" Kyo laughed. Even though just moments ago he was being horribly overpowered by Naofumi in his demonic form, he was fully confident in himself.

"My real form...my real name...I am the Spirit Tortoise, manifest in human form." Ost said through grit teeth. "If the Spirit Tortoise dies, so will I."

"**!"**

With a roar even more powerful and agitated than the last, Naofumi slammed into the barrier. Ost cried out in pain as the barrier held. He continuously pounded on the barrier, generating loud booms with every strike.

"Ha! You don't stand a chance anymore, demon boy! Prepare to die!" Kyo yelled, gathering as many pages as he could and preparing to fire their lasers.

"**!"** Naofumi's shield swapped to the Stone Titan's Shield, and the red gem on it glowed brightly. In an instant, his power exploded as he used **Titanic Strength**. Kyo's pages were instantly incinerated along with the barrier. His skin melted and regenerated over and over.

Everyone could feel their skin sizzle from the intense heat, and the walls themselves began melting.

Naofumi grabbed Kyo by the throat, lifting him off of the ground.

"Urgh, don't think you've won just because you've gotten a boost! In the end, you're still just a pathetic little demon brat who can't save anyone! All you're good for is killing!"

Those words seemed to affect Naofumi even in his current state, and the man's grip on Kyo tightened and began to crush his throat. The flames burned his face and body, and he screamed in agony. Kyo began to panic as his regeneration failed to keep up with the damage being done both by Naofumi's hands and the flames that surrounded them.

"L-Let...go of me, you...freak!" he wheezed, clawing at the hands to no avail. "I swear, as soon as I'm...free from here _*cough*_ I'll take...every last drop of energy...from this world...and _*cough cough* _erase you!"

"NAOFUMI!" Raphtalia screamed. "DON'T DO IT! STOP!"

She sprinted forward before wrapping her arms around Naofumi's back. For some reason, the flames didn't hurt her at all. In fact, they swirled around her protectively. "Please..! Come back to us! This isn't who you are!"

Naofumi continued to growl at Kyo, who's eyes were bloodshot with fear and panic. But his grip didn't loosen, holding the man in place.

"Please..." Tears brimmed in Raphtalia's eyes at seeing her beloved behave so viciously. "You regretted it last time, and I know you'll regret it again. So please..!"

"_Come back to me!"_

Those words caused Naofumi to stop in his tracks. The ragged, flaming breaths he was taking cooled. Only steam came with his puffs of air. **"Raph..."**

"Yes, my love. It's me."

"**Raph...tali...a..."**

She cried harder at the sound of his voice. It sounded like he was in so much pain, even with all of this power flowing through him.

"Grrrrr, let me go you bastard!" Kyo continued to flail helplessly in Naofumi's hands. Now that he had some semblance of control, the rest of the group approached.

"It's over, Kyo. You can't run from your crimes any longer." Glass said. "You took control of a Vassal Weapon for your own misdeeds, and you shall be punished so that it may choose a worthy wielder."

"Looks like it's the end of the line for you." L'arc shouldered his scythe. "I would feel bad, but you've caused us all a whole lot of trouble. Frankly? You brought this on yourself."

"I won't be defeated! If you kill me, I'll come back even stronger than before!" Kyo yelled hysterically.

"**Good..."**

Naofumi's voice was chilling.

"**Get to...ki-killllll...a-again?...How...f-f-**_**fortunate**_**...for **_**me**_**..."**

With a sudden snap, Naofumi broke Kyo's neck. The man fell, lifeless onto the ground. Rishia and some of the others gasped in shock at his brutality. L'arc and Glass averted their eyes, and Raphtalia just clutched the man tighter to herself.

"Come back...please...This isn't like you..." she cried into his back.

With a few deep breaths, Naofumi's aura subsided and he returned to normal. "What...what just happened?" he asked weakly as he fell backward. Raphtalia held him upright.

"Kiddo..." L'arc looked at him with sad eyes. "You really don't remember?"

He shook his head. "I remember casting a spell with Ost, but then...nothing."

Everyone did their best to avoid looking at Kyo's lifeless body. No matter how used to death one was, the sight of the dead was never easy. "Master!" Filo leapt forward, wrapping her arms around Naofumi's chest. "You're finally back! I was worried!"

"We all were." Eclair said, sheathing her sword. "Whatever power you possess, it is terrifying indeed."

Naofumi put a hand to the Sigil, feeling its warmth returning to normal. "I...killed him, didn't I?" he asked, glancing at the body.

Glass stepped forward. "You should not feel bad for him. Kyo was a horrible individual who abused the power he was entrusted with. He endangered not only your world, but our own. One way or another, he deserved a fate like this."

"Wait...Ost!" Naofumi coughed several times. "Where is she!?" He looked around frantically, searching for the woman who helped him protect the people he cared about.

"I'm right here...Shield Hero..." Ost weakly said. Her body was covered in burns and cuts, and she could barely keep her eyes open. Rishia held her off the ground.

"Ost..!" Naofumi grunted in an attempt to stand, and Raphtalia had to assist him. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know I would end up hurting you!"

She shook her head and Raphtalia and Naofumi knelt beside her. "Please, don't worry about me. That man needed to be stopped, and at least I can give you one last gift before I disappear. Shield Hero, no...Naofumi, lend me your shield."

He allowed her to touch the shield, and it was enveloped in a blinding light. It instantly unlocked the **Spirit Tortoise Heart Shield**, which had obscenely high bonuses, resistances to draining and magic, spell assistance, and a variety of other things. In addition, it was instantly powered up to the maximum for all of the power up methods he knew of.

Lastly, it had an ability called **Energy Blast**, and its icon was blinking at 100%.

"That shield is what remains of my power. Please, use it to destroy the core." she said with a raspy voice.

"But that'll kill you..." Raphtalia gave a concerned look.

"Your hesitation is touching, but it must be done. It was my fate to be hated by the heroes for what I had to do, so the fact that I feel close to you all makes this much easier." Ost was growing weaker by the second. "Mr. Naofumi...use that shield to destroy my core once and for all."

He glanced at the floating crystal. "And you're sure about this? Kyo is gone, so we can look for another way to disburse the energy without killing you."

"No. Even without that man controlling me, my duty remains. Should you allow me to recover, I will be forced to attack once more. Respect my wishes and kill me while you have the chance."

He grit his teeth as tears fell down his cheeks. _'Why does she have to be so damn nice about it!? That's not making this easier!'_

He wiped the tears away. "Fine. Everyone, stand back."

The shield sprouted four legs to support its weight, and crosshairs appeared in the air around the core. An enormous amount of energy built up, forming a ball of crackling electricity. The shield extended until it looked like the barrel of a cannon, and a wing-like pedestal appeared in front of him.

Ost managed to stand and lean against Naofumi, adding more power to the blast. "No matter what happens, remember that I will always be with you." she whispered to him.

He nodded, and allowed the stored power to be unleashed. A blinding beam of electricity shot from the shield, decimating the core and everything behind it in an instant. Even the barriers that protected the core stood no chance against an attack of this magnitude.

With a loud, piercing shriek-like sound, the core shattered into thousands of pieces.

The roaring sound of the beam died down, and the dust settled. The core was gone, as well as the wall behind it. Sunlight poured into the chamber from the outside.

Everyone's ears were ringing from the noise, and it took several moments for them to regain their bearings.

"Is...it over?" Rishia asked from the back of the group.

Ost had vanished in the attack, pouring all of herself into it to ensure it didn't fail. Naofumi wiped the tears from his eyes. Even if Ost had only been with them for a short time, it still hurt to kill her like this. He wasn't a murderer by choice, but it was the fate that was thrust upon him. Ost's life, along with the lives of everyone else he killed, would stitch itself upon his heart to be remembered forever.

He may be part demon, but he wasn't so much of a monster to forget the names and faces of those he killed. Willingly, or otherwise.

"Huh? Naofumi, look!" Glass exclaimed, shattering the moment and pointing toward Kyo's body. It was glowing with a soft light, but other than that nothing could be seen.

"What is it?" he asked, confusedly. "I don't see anything."

"He's not dead! Kyo is still there!"

"What!?" Naofumi switched to his Soul Eater Shield, which had a property that allowed him to sense spirits. Immediately after, he could see a faint, shimmering outline of Kyo that looked much different than he used to look.

"Ha! So you found me out, did you? Well it's too late!" Kyo's spectral hands came together, and a small ball of light appeared. "I have to thank you for letting me sit there in hiding, Miss Glass! You even broke the core and made all of this juicy energy free to take wherever I want!"

"You bastard!" Naofumi said. He tried to run toward him, but fell to his knees. All of his energy had been expended between his demonic transformation and firing the **Energy Blast**, and he already lost too much blood to function properly.

In fact, he would later say he felt like he was barely conscious at all. The battle, while relatively short, had taken every bit of power he could muster.

"You ruined my plans, you stupid Shield Hero! But I'll be taking this energy with me, so don't think it's going back to the earth!" With that, the energy condensed into a dark sphere that tore into time and space.

"You're not getting away!" Ren yelled, switching to his Soul Eater Sword and dashing forward. If anything could hurt a spirit, it would be a weapon designed to eat souls!

"See ya, losers! _Hahahahahahaha!"_

Kyo vanished into the portal before Ren could reach.

"Dammit!" The one-armed man stabbed his weapon into the ground in anger. "He got away! ARGH!"

"Ren, calm yourself!" Eclair shouted.

"How am I supposed to stay calm in a situation like this!?"

Naofumi stood with Raphtalia's assistance. "Ren...don't worry. We'll get him. Raphtalia, Filo, Rishia, let's go." He hobbled his way over to the portal, where L'arc, Glass, and Therese gathered.

"This portal seems to lead back to our world. You won't be able to join us, Naofumi." Glass said with a sad look in her normally piercing eyes.

Naofumi reached the portal, but as he reached a hand through he was shocked. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in quite some time.

**Action not permitted. Holy Heroes are not allowed to invade another world.**

His shield's gem shined brightly before sparking a few times.

**Special Request approved. The Holy Heroes may now conditionally invade other worlds.**

Naofumi chuckled. "Looks like Ost is keeping an eye on us, after all. I apparently got some kind of special permission to go."

"I'm coming with you, Naofumi!" Ren said resolutely. "I'm not letting that creep do what he wants!"

Naofumi shook his head. "That's not a good idea. If both of us leave, what happens if a wave hits this world? There would be no heroes to help at all. With those two out of commission, I need you to stay here to keep everyone safe."

Ren grit his teeth in frustration. "But...! I can't just sit here and do nothing until then!"

Eclair put a hand on his shoulder. "Then train with me. We'll get stronger while Mr. Naofumi brings that man to justice. Besides, the soldiers need a hero they can trust to defend them. The Spear and Bow heroes do not inspire confidence, and that is the one thing people need in times like these."

He clenched his fist for a few seconds before relaxing. "Fine...I'll stay here and keep an eye on things." He jabbed his finger into Naofumi's chest. "But you'd better use your Soul Eater Shield and rip that guy to shreds for me!"

Naofumi smirked. "If I can, I'll do much worse than that."

"Good. Let's get these two some medical attention, then."

Naofumi and the others watched as Ren and Eclair retrieved the bodies of Motoyasu and Itsuki. He could really take charge of a situation when he needed to, and it put Naofumi's mind at ease.

"Naofumi, are you really coming to our world to stop Kyo?" Therese asked.

He nodded. "I have to. If he thinks he can come here and make things harder for us then run off, he's got another thing coming."

"Then let's go." Glass said, disappearing into the portal followed by L'arc and Therese.

"Alright everyone, you know what to do." Naofumi smiled at his companions despite the weakness he felt. "Who's ready to see a whole new world?"

Ren sputtered from behind him. "Was that a reference to a movie?"

Damn. He was fairly perceptive when he wanted to be.

"I'll always be with you, Naofumi." Raphtalia said as she smiled at him. "Whether it's this world or the next, I will follow you."

"Me tooooooo!" Filo bounced up and down excitedly. "Let's kick that creepy dude's butt and get back all of Turtle Lady's energy!"

"I agree. I cannot stand by while he brings such injustice upon our world." Rishia said with confidence that looked odd on her face. "I'm going with you."

Naofumi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Don't you want to make sure Itsuki is okay?"

She shook her head. "As much as I want to, Mr. Ren can take care of Master Itsuki for now. I feel like it's my duty to stop the man who harmed him."

"You're really starting to grow a spine, huh?" Naofumi chuckled at her, and Raphtalia slapped his shoulder, eliciting a groan of pain. "Then let's go."

They followed the others into the portal, and were enveloped in darkness.

"-fumi! Mr. Naofumi!"

"Ughhhhhhhh... Did someone get the license plate number on that portal?..."

"Fueeeh! Oh no, he's losing his mind!"

Naofumi groaned as his eyes opened. Rishia was sitting over him with concern etched on her face. "Rishia?...What happened?..." he asked with a raspy voice.

"Umm...I'm not totally sure, to be honest. We went through the portal, but somehow we ended up here."

'Here' was apparently a dark room reminiscent of a jail cell. The smell of moss and rust pervaded the area. Naofumi slowly sat up from where he was, which was a dingy bed that looked like it hadn't been used in decades.

There were some miscellaneous items scattered about, as well as a stockpile of food. Someone must be living here, since most of the food looked somewhat fresh.

"Wait! Where's Raphtalia and Filo!?" Naofumi panicked as he looked to the corner of his vision.

They weren't there. It was just him and Rishia.

Anger flooded his system. _'That bastard..! Kyo must have done something to them in the portal!'_ He remembered the man's voice mocking him as they went through the portal.

"_Hahaha! You're really dumber than I thought! Did you really think I wouldn't set a trap for you!? Have fun with the rest of your life! HAHAHAHAHA!"_

"Fuck!" Naofumi slammed his fist into the bed. "This can't be happening!"

His worst nightmare had come true. Last time he feared for their lives, he couldn't muster the courage to see if their names were still on his HUD. They were still there, that time.

This time, he had that courage. And they were gone.

"Fueeeeh! Mr. Naofumi, please! Calm down!" Rishia coaxed him but he slapped her hand away.

"How am I supposed to stay calm at a time like this!?" he raged, looking through his status menu and finding even more things to be upset about. "And L'arc was right! Our levels got reset to fucking _one_! We couldn't beat Kyo even if we tried!"

"Fueeeh..." Rishia cowered in the corner, afraid of his wrath.

Naofumi looked to the shield on his arm, and saw an unfamiliar shield. It was called the **Beginner's Small Shield**, which had barely any stats whatsoever and no bonuses. All of that hard work he had put in meant absolutely nothing now.

It looked like a piece of cardboard with a handle on it. How the hell was this thing even considered a shield!?

'_I have to figure a way out of here so I can find Raphtalia and Filo!'_ he thought frantically, trying to come up with a plan. _'I refuse to believe they're dead! They just can't be! Kyo didn't even have a body after we were done with him, so they have to be alive somewhere!'_

He tried calling on the slave and monster seals that bound him to his other companions, but the only message he received was that they were out of range.

'_That must mean they're still alive, so that's good.'_ He breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's just find a way out of here so I can rip that guy's head off."

"Fueeeeeeeh!"

Rishia really wasn't any help in situations like these. Where was all of that confidence she just showed against Kyo?

He walked up to the jail cell's door. He shook it to see if the metal was as weak as it looked, but the door opened. "..." His eye twitched.

"It's...open?" Rishia asked, curiously peeking over his shoulder.

"Let's just go. I'm too tired and pissed off to care about why this is open."

Naofumi walked down the dungeon hallway with no particular destination in mind. Rishia followed closely behind him, whimpering at every stray sound that happened to echo down the halls. If he was in a more joking mood, he would have intentionally jumped and screamed just to see what she would do.

As he was, Naofumi wanted nothing more than to find his two companions, wipe the floor with Kyo's smug little face, and go home.

He was exhausted from practically losing himself to his demon side and fighting for an entire day on top of that. Plus, he had completely burned through his SP so he felt sluggish.

For whatever reason, using his **Demonic Takeover** didn't use any of his HP. Rather than the usual pain he felt when casting magic, he felt nothing. He just blacked out instead. Whatever was different about that spell, it was dangerous enough for Zephyrus to warn him of its consequences.

Was the cost worth it? He doubted it, since Kyo managed to make it out alive.

Naofumi huffed with a dark smirk. _'Snapping his neck felt __**good**__ though. I'll have to find a way to top that next time.'_ he thought. Rishia shivered from behind him, somehow sensing dark intentions.

They soon escaped the prison, but there were so many questions floating around their heads. Why weren't there any jailors? Where were the other prisoners? Why did the prison's exit seemingly teleport them to some tropical island that looked like it belonged in a travel brochure?

'_Just where the hell _are _we!?'_

The two spent the rest of the day exploring what they could of the island. Most of the monsters they saw were extremely low level, and weren't even able to hurt him. Most of the ones they encountered were just White Boxes, which were probably this world's equivalent of Balloons.

It was glaringly obvious how stacked the odds were against them, though. Naofumi couldn't use any of his shields because he wasn't a high enough level, couldn't cast magic without injuring himself further, and none of them had any weapons worth using.

Furthermore, Naofumi found that he couldn't use weapons in this world at all.

He had tried to use a spare sword from his inventory, but he received a familiar zap. The message, however, was different.

**The Shield Hero cannot use weapons to battle. Magic, however, is still acceptable.**

Naofumi was more than just annoyed. He couldn't get in contact with Zephyrus at all, so he couldn't get the demon god to fix this mess. He decided that he would need to learn to better control his magic if he wanted to limit the pain he felt.

'_Why didn't __**Demonic Takeover**__ use any of my HP then? Something doesn't add up.'_ he thought as he sat down on their makeshift couch in the jungle. It was made of logs and large tropical leaves, so it was at least comfortable enough to sit down on. _'Zephyrus said something about how demons don't use magic the same way, but he was so vague...'_

He huffed, deciding to think more on that topic later. For now, they had to figure out where the hell they were and how to escape.

"Fueeehhhh..." Rishia whined from nearby. It was getting dark, so they were careful to avoid the deeper parts of the jungle where the monsters would be out to hunt for prey.

"What is it?" Naofumi growled.

"Feh!" She jumped. "I-I...I'm worried about Raphtalia and Filo..." she said softly.

The thought of something happening to either of them filled Naofumi with unbridled rage, but he forced it down. Rishia was just as worried as he was, so there was no reason to blow up in her face.

"_*Sigh*_...Yeah, me too."

"Where do you think we are?" she asked, taking a bite out of some red fruit they had found. It was pretty much the only edible thing on the island, since most of the monsters were just White Boxes.

"No idea, but we have to find a way out of here. I can only hope that Raphtalia and Filo are with L'arc and the others. At least they'll be safe that way."

The monsters became much more aggressive as night fell, so the duo decided to retreat to the jail cell. At least there were no monsters there to disturb their rest.

They woke up the next day and immediately explored the island as best they could. The monsters were extremely weak, but they provided a surprisingly large amount of experience. Between the fighting from the prior evening and that morning, Naofumi was now level 9 and Rishia was already level 16.

Compared to when he and Raphtalia had been when first starting out, Naofumi felt that he and Rishia were having a much easier time. The only downsides were the fact that Rishia wasn't as adorable as Raphtalia had been, and the fact that they were no closer to finding a way out of here than when they first arrived.

Naofumi still couldn't seem to replicate the feeling that he had while casting spells with Ost, though. Something about the way the magic worked was fundamentally different, and he had no idea how to even begin that process.

'_If I could just pull up those stupid puzzle pieces I could at least _try_ to do it, but I can't even get that part!'_ he thought. _'You sure picked a convenient time to disappear on me, Zephyrus!'_

He got a shock for his complaint. Even if he couldn't speak, the demon god could apparently hear him.

"...Bitch."

He got a shock for that too.

Eventually they came upon a small lake. "Oh, thank goodness! I'm parched!" Rishia said, running to the edge and dipping her hands inside. Naofumi did the same.

"It's even clean and fresh. Just what _is_ this place? Wouldn't an island like this have salt water?" he thought out loud. He shrugged as Rishia cupped some into her hands and drank. She sighed happily.

The sound of bubbles in the water grabbed his attention. "Rishia, watch out!"

"Feh!?"

He jumped in front of her just in time to block a creature that burst forth from the water. It was a monster called a Kappa, which looked like a cross between a reptile and an imp. It had webbed fingers and a turtle shell on its back, as well as a beak-like mouth.

He struggled against it for just a moment. "Rishia, kill it!" he shouted.

"Fu-fueeeeh...!" she whined.

"What are you- UGH!" Naofumi got cut off as the Kappa swung at his shield again. The attack was powerful enough to send him flying back into a tree.

"Mr. Naofumi!" Rishia shouted in surprise.

"Don't worry about me! Just kill it!"

She prepared herself as well as she could, but she was trembling. Despite being a fairly low level, its strength obviously outweighed their defense by a large amount if one attack could send him flying.

"**!"** It released a gurgling sound akin to a croak as puffed up to do some kind of ranged attack.

"**Air Strike Shield!"**

The spectral shield appeared just in time to block the high-pressure stream of water. However, it broke through without even slowing down. It struck Naofumi and he groaned in pain.

'_Damn, that thing hurts! It must be because I haven't powered up any of these shields!'_

"**Second Shield!"**

A second shield blocked the monster's claws. Naofumi sprinted forward and wrapped his arms around it from behind. "Rishia, quick!"

"F-fueeh! Okay!" She dashed forward, sword in hand. She struck the defenseless Kappa, but it only did a small amount of damage.

'_Just how tough is this thing!?'_ Naofumi wondered, before his back exploded in pain. _'Another one!?'_

Behind him was another Kappa, blood on its hands.

"Rishia, can you hurry it up!?" he shouted. "If you can't kill it, then we need to run!"

A third Kappa appeared a short distance down the river, and it came running at them. With this many enemies, their chances of escape just became slim to none.

Was this how it was going to end?

"**!?"**

The Kappa made a confused sound before its head was ripped cleanly from its shoulders. What looked like a thin wire had wrapped itself around the Kappa's neck and cut right through with little effort.

"**Blood Flower Strike!"**

There were two high-pitched _*shing*_ sounds and a flash of light before the other two Kappas collapsed into bloody piles of flesh. Naofumi himself was unharmed by the attack.

'_Who the hell!?'_ Naofumi turned quickly, preparing himself for battle. _'There's someone else here!?'_

"Are you okay?"

The owner of the voice was a fairly short girl with dark hair tied into pigtails. She looked young, somewhere around the early teenage years. But her eyes and posture made her seem older.

'_Maybe she's a real loli? Does that loli-fever extend to this world too!?'_ Naofumi almost facepalmed.

Her clothes looked very feminine in comparison to the confident, almost masculine stance she had. She wore a gothic dress with a haori on top, an odd combination for sure. As for her chest...?

'_What chest? There's nothing there.'_

If it weren't for the girly voice and feminine face she had, he could honestly mistake the person for a young boy. She carried a fishing rod in her hand.

Something seemed...oddly familiar about her. Though in that quick moment, Naofumi couldn't place it.

"I look away for just a few minutes and you almost get yourselves killed! If it weren't for me, you two would have been done for!" she said with a smirk.

"And just who the hell are you?" Naofumi asked, still guarded in case she was hostile.

"Just the person who's been keeping you safe since you two fell out of the sky."

"That doesn't answer my question. Who are you!?" Naofumi prepared himself for battle, while Rishia cowered behind him.

"You don't trust me?" the girl asked. Her tone made it obvious that her question was rhetorical.

"Who would be stupid enough to trust a random person in a place like this? We just got out of a prison, only to be saved by you a day later."

The girl scratched her head with a slight blush. "Well...I guess that makes sense now that you mention it."

'_Just who is this girl? Is she some kind of airhead?'_

"Since we have all the time in the world, let's chat. What's your name?"

"Isn't it polite to introduce yourself before asking for someone's name?" Naofumi shot back. He was still cautious as he casted a quick healing spell on himself.

"**Zweite Heal!"**

He coughed up a glob of blood before wiping it away as his wounds healed. The girl panicked.

"Hey, hey! What do you think you're doing!? Don't go killing yourself after all of my hard work! What are you, some kind of kamikaze!?"

'_Wait a second...Nobody here should know what that word means in that context...'_ Naofumi's eyes widened.

"Are you Japanese?" he asked, and the girl tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah, my name's Kizuna Kazayama! I'm one of the four Holy Heroes - the Hunting Hero, to be exact."

'_Hunting Hero? And she was a Holy Hero, too? Does every world have Holy Heroes?'_ Naofumi wondered.

"...What?"

"I said my name's Kizuna, now tell me yours." She put her hands on her hips with a sassy frown. She obviously didn't have a lot of patience.

With a sigh, Naofumi lowered his guard. "I'm Naofumi Iwatani. I'm also one of the four Holy Heroes - the Shield Hero."

"...What?" Kizuna was confused.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not really, I've just never heard of a 'Shield Hero' before." she said, shaking her head.

"Yeah well, I've never heard of a 'Hunting Hero' before." Naofumi shrugged. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say you were summoned here from Japan, then."

"Bingo. Based on what you've said, Naofumi - can I call you Naofumi? Anyway, I can assume you were summoned to another world as one of the Holy Heroes, right?"

"That's right."

"I have no idea how you ended up here of all places, then. Things aren't looking so good for you."

"Why do you say that? And just where is _here_ anyway?" Naofumi asked, looking around. "Nothing about this place makes any sense."

"That's because it doesn't. This place is a never-ending labyrinth. There's no guards because there's no way out. It's a special kind of space."

"Impossible to escape, huh?" Naofumi chuckled. "If there's one thing I've learned from crappy movies, it's that every time something is called 'inescapable' there's some kind of way out."

"Trust me. I have no idea how long I've even been here. After the first year, you stop counting." The girl looked down with a sad face that made Naofumi feel slightly guilty. Although he hated the world he was summoned to at first, the few things that went in his favor made up for it.

He still wanted to go home, if only to see his brother again. His parents didn't give a rat's ass about him anymore, and he didn't exactly have any friends to miss. Aside from the awful beginning to his adventure, his life in that strange world wasn't half bad.

The fact that he met the woman of his dreams there certainly helped. Maybe he'd be able to bring the people he cared about back to his own world when he saves it?

Thoughts for later, he supposed.

"That's weird." Kizuna said, poking some of the Kappa remains with her giant knife. "I killed the monsters, but didn't get any experience from them."

"That's because we're both Holy Heroes. If they're too close to each other, neither one gains experience."

"Really? Is that how it works?" She looked genuinely confused, and Naofumi narrowed his eyes.

"You didn't know that already? That was like, the first thing they told us when we got summoned."

"I've never met any of the other Holy Heroes before, so that's news to me."

'_Seriously?'_ Naofumi regarded the girl with jealousy. _'I wish I could have been summoned away from the other three at first. Maybe I could have had a normal start, if I had! Oh well...at least Ren came around eventually.'_

"Anyway, Rishia. Go ahead and introduce yourself; I don't think she's an enemy."

"Feeh! I-I'm Rishia...Rishia Ivyread. It's nice to meet you."

"I noticed that you didn't introduce yourself as a hero."

"Feeeeeh..."

Kizuna cocked her head to the side. "What's with that sound?"

Naofumi managed to crack a small smile. "Right? She can fight like a beast when she needs to, but most of the time she's like this."

"Feeh!? Mr. Naofumi, that's so rude!" Rishia complained.

Kizuna shrugged and brushed one of her pigtails out of her face with a scowl. "Stupid jungle. Let's head somewhere else to talk."

"Agreed." Naofumi said. As far as he could tell, Kizuna didn't have any bad intentions. But he couldn't tell for sure whether she would demand a favor for saving their lives.

They broke down the Kappas into raw materials and meat, and fed them to Naofumi's shield to unlock a few more variants. He wasn't high enough level to use any of them, and the bonuses weren't great anyway. As they made their way out of the jungle, they talked. "Wouldn't you get summoned out of here whenever a wave comes?" Naofumi asked, ducking under a low-hanging vine.

"Waves? Those are real? I thought they were just legends." Kizuna responded, slicing through bushes with what looked like a machete.

"You've never fought in one?"

She shook her head. "Like I said, this is a separate space from the outside world. I don't know what's going on out there." Then, she giggled.

"What's that for?"

"Oh nothing! I just forgot how fun it is to have someone to talk to!"

"Seriously?.." Naofumi deadpanned. "Just how long have you been stuck here?"

Kizuna sighed. "Two years, at least. I've explored a pretty huge amount of this labyrinth, but I haven't found a way out."

They soon reached the beach where they had first appeared. After a bit more walking, they came upon a small house. "There has to be a way out, otherwise there wouldn't be a way to get in." Naofumi said.

The girl shook her head, brow furrowed. She sat down in what seemed to be a makeshift lounge chair. "Like I said, I haven't found one. I heard about this place back before I got stuck here. They say that once you enter, you can never leave. Based on how long I've been here, I'm starting to think they were right."

Naofumi regarded the pained look on her face. _'She really looks stressed out. I guess I can't blame her, though. Being stuck in a place like this alone for several years would drive anyone insane.'_

"So...I have to admit, I've never known anyone from Japan that has horns."

"Huh?"

Kizuna pointed at him. "Is that some kind of headband with horns on it? I know you guys have a weird sense of style, what with the busted up armor and all that, but that's on a whole different level."

Naofumi patted the top of his head and sure enough, two small and spiky horns were there. He groaned. "Dammit...So that's what he meant..." he mumbled, before turning to Rishia. "Why didn't you say something earlier? I had no idea these were still here."

"Fueeeh! I-I thought it would be rude to point them out, just in case you got self-conscious about them. Besides, we had more important things to worry about."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

He was glad that she hadn't mentioned them before, especially when he was still freaking out about Raphtalia and Filo. If she had, he probably would have blown up in her face about how unimportant it was in comparison.

"You didn't answer my question, Naofumi. How'd you get those horns?" Kizuna asked, walking up to him. "Do you mind if...I touch them?" She had a nervous look on her face, but her eyes twinkled with curiosity.

Naofumi batted her hand away. "No. I don't even want these things here, so I won't let someone I just met touch them." He rubbed a finger down the length of one of the curved horns, and he winced.

'_Plus, they're kind of sensitive...'_ He chose not to mention that particular detail. He didn't even plan to tell Raphalia, lest she use it to her advantage.

"How'd you get them, then?" Kizuna asked, crossing her arms under her non-existent chest.

"..." Naofumi let his eyes focus on the waves as they crashed against the shore.

"You can't ignore me, you know. I'm the only one who knows their way around this place, and you're stuck here anyway."

"..."

"You're not much of a people person, are you?"

Naofumi released a sigh that made him feel like an old man. "I wasn't born with them. I'm a half-demon." He ran a hand through his hair, but he had to avoid the horns. "Maybe more demon than human now, though."

He fully expected the girl to freak out or ask a ton of questions, so he was surprised when she hummed in thought. "Well that's not what I expected, but it's not the craziest thing I've ever heard. So, do you have some kind of demon locked inside of your shield?"

Naofumi fixed her with a confused look. "You're not surprised at all?" he asked.

Kizuna pulled out her fishing rod, which had a familiar green gem etched into the reel. "When I figured out my Hunting Tool has a mythical huntress locked inside, I guess it isn't so farfetched to believe something else could be locked in your shield."

"A huntress?"

She nodded. "Her name is Artemis, like the one from Roman history."

"She was Greek."

Naofumi was terrible with history, but even_ he_ knew that one.

"Details details." she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Anyway, after being stuck here for a while, I started hearing voices in my head. I thought I was losing it, but eventually I got sucked into some weird space called Limbo and met her. She's pretty chill, actually."

Naofumi nodded. "Zephyrus isn't exactly what I expected him to be, either. For a giant demon, he's surprisingly nice. _If only he would come out and give me a hand here!"_ He smacked the shield and earned himself a nice shock for his trouble.

"Do all Holy Weapons have something like this?"

"I think so. The Sword Hero from our world has a dragon in his."

"Huh. Weird." Kizuna yawned. "Anyway, what's with your clothes? Does everyone from your world dress like that?"

Naofumi looked down at his Barbarian Armor. The arms were completely missing and the chestplate had definitely seen better days. The entire thing was scorched black, probably from the cursed fire he had used. Rishia's kigurumi, a costume designed to look just like Filo but had incredibly high stats, looked no different than usual.

She looked at her equipment and squealed. "Feh! It says something strange!"

Just like his armor, the letters must have been completely intelligible. "May as well take it off if it doesn't help us. So it's just like Glass told us; armor doesn't work when it crosses between worlds."

"You know Glass!?" Kizuna jumped forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Where is she!? Is she okay!?"

He pushed her off. "She's fine. She came through the portal before us, but somehow we got separated on the way here."

"Oh good." The girl sighed with relief, plopping back down onto her chair. "I've just been so worried about everyone since I got stuck here. I don't even know if time works the same, so for all I knew..."

Naofumi sympathized with her. He felt the exact same way about his brother back home. If time worked too differently, his brother could be old - or dead from old age - before he got back. Either that, or no time at all would pass and _he_ would be the one who randomly got older.

"How did you guys end up here anyway?" Kizuna asked, regaining her composure. "I just sort of...got stuck here."

He explained the events that led up to them being imprisoned in the labyrinth. Naofumi didn't go into too much detail, only opting to give a general overview of what happened since he was summoned. Kizuna kicked back in her chair.

"Sounds like you got a pretty crappy deal at the beginning. If she wasn't dead, I'd probably want to punch that girl in the face."

"Glad you agree. Basically, some guy named Kyo Ethnina took control of the Spirit Tortoise, which is one of our four guardian beasts. In the end, Glass and a few others teamed up with us to take him down." He clenched his fists as a small amount of fire flickered from his body.

"**I thought snapping his neck would do the trick, but the bastard still managed to get away."**

Rishia cowered and Kizuna leaned away from him instinctively. "Woah...you weren't kidding about the whole 'demon' thing. Anyway, if Glass joined you to bring this guy down, he must be pretty awful."

"**Try 'willing to destroy our whole world to boost his own power' kind of awful."**

"Jeez. Well, since you were kind enough to tell me your story, I guess I'll tell you mine."

Kizuna was invited with her sisters to participate in a special online game called Second Life Project. Essentially, you got in a pod and were able to experience life in a different form of reality. Time moved much quicker in the game than in reality, so it was designed for you to be able to spend months or even years in-game while only an hour would pass in the real world.

She said it was a popular genre for working-class people who didn't have much time for games, and Naofumi didn't doubt it. If he had been born in a world with that kind of technology, he may have immersed himself in them too.

When she was first summoned, she thought it was just a tutorial. After a while, she realized her sisters were nowhere to be found and she was in a completely different world altogether.

Kizuna went on a few adventures that seemed to fit a classic RPG style. A ghost ship arrived and she, along with Glass, L'arc, and some others, solved the mystery. After it crashed, she had gotten thrown into the labyrinth and has been here ever since.

"Just how old are you, anyway?" Naofumi finally asked. His curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"Me? I'm eighteen, why?"

"..." Naofumi deadpanned at her. "You're not fucking with me, are you?"

"Of course not! Why would I lie about my age!?"

"Girls always do that."

"They lie to seem younger, not older! I know I look young for my age, okay!?"

She seemed pretty upset by that fact. _'Maybe she got picked on a lot for looking like a kid?'_ Naofumi thought to himself. He knew better than to voice that opinion, though. Raphtalia would kill him if she heard him say something like that.

"So what are you going to do now?" Kizuna asked with a huff.

"Well, I can't exactly just sit here and do nothing." Naofumi said, rolling his eyes. "I have a girlfriend and a pet to save."

"Fueh...I don't know if calling Miss Filo your pet is appropriate..." Rishia noted, weakly.

"What else would I call her?"

"Umm...your daughter...? Maybe?..."

"Fat chance of her sharing any sort of my DNA. That bird is as annoying as they get."

Kizuna watched the two bicker, though it was more like Naofumi refuting everything Rishia said and her just accepting it. "You could always come fishing with me. There's plenty of spots to catch some interesting stuff."

"Fishing?" Naofumi turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep! This place is pretty weird but if there's one thing that I've learned, it's that wherever there's water, there's fish!"

Naofumi stared at her for a moment before facepalming. "You're kidding, right?"

"What? Why would I joke around about that!? It's not like I had anything better to do while I've been stuck here!" Kizuna pouted. Her young appearance made it seem even more adorable.

"I guess I can't fault you for finding something to do with your time, but I can't afford to waste much time here." Naofumi said, standing and brushing a bit of sand off of his pants. "I guess we could relax for a bit, but tomorrow we're going to find a way out of this place. Whether I have to burn everything to the ground, or not."

Kizuna's eyes lit up. "You mean you'll come fishing with me!?" she asked excitedly.

Naofumi scratched his head. "I don't see why not. I guess fishing can be sort of relaxing, but if nothing happens it gets boring for me pretty quickly."

She shot upward and grabbed his hand before hauling him off down the beach. "You don't have to worry about a thing! My Hunting Tool makes catching fish a breeze! Oh this is gonna be so much fun!"

His eye twitched in annoyance as he allowed himself to be pulled along, leaving Rishia whining and chasing after them.

'_Why do I get the feeling like I just made a huge mistake?'_


	20. IMPORTANT NOTICE: REWRITE

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Hello everyone! I know it's been over a month since my last major update, so I wanted to let you know what's been going on. Between writing two other stories as well as everything going on at home, I've been finding a lot less time to write this particular story.

However, that does NOT mean I'm going on another 6 month hiatus.

I'm not going to lie to you guys. The beginning of this story broke so many rules with how canon works that it made me sick. Now that I've read all the Light Novels, I know how to make the story make better sense.

So, I've decided to rewrite pretty much this entire story. It's not being rewritten from the ground up, but it's being edited for clarity and such. I have currently rewritten chapters 1-5, and I am making decent progress. Until I catch up with where I currently am (the more recent chapters will definitely not need as much revision) I will probably not write the next chapter of this story.

**BE WARNED: Some events and things have changed in the rewritten chapters, and reading the story from start to finish as-is WILL have some inconsistencies.**

Personally, I think I've rewritten the story to be significantly better than it was before. As you can all see in the chapter list, chapters 1-5 have been rewritten and already posted to . I highly encourage you all to read through them to get an idea of what things will be different down the line.

If you have questions or concerns about it, feel free to leave a review or PM me and I'll be sure to get back to you when I can.

In addition, I hope everyone is well and safe during these ridiculously trying times. I won't get political because this doesn't feel like a proper medium for that type of speech, but I greatly appreciate each and every one of you who reads this story. It's the second story I've ever written (and the longest), and at this point it's like my child.

No matter what's going on in the world, know that you have my gratitude.

Sincerely,

RLTygurr


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